09/02/2026
Wisdom Hunters
September 2, 2026
The Goodness of Unity
By: Mez Stead
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has bestowed the blessing of life forevermore.
Psalm 133:1-3
I wonder if you, like me, always cringed in school when a teacher assigned a group project. I preferred to work alone; that way I could set my own standards and have autonomy over the results. But according to Psalm 133, as part of God’s family, we are all part of the ultimate group project. None of us is given the luxury of going solo. When David says how good it is when brothers live together, it harkens back to God’s creation proclamation: “It is good” (Genesis 1:31). God’s original design and purpose for His people is that we do life together. That our gathering in unity is good and pleasant is not a matter of opinion; it is an indisputable truth. But that may be hard for those introverts among us to get behind. Maybe we can concede that gathering and serving together with our church families is good for us, but pleasant?
For many, going to church and serving among God’s people is more of a duty than a delight. The reality is, just as God’s good design for His creation has been tarnished by sin, so has His good and pleasant design for His people to live together in unity. In our churches, what we often experience is disunity, pettiness, and selfishness. There is good reason for the hyperbolic joke about churches splitting over what color carpet should be installed in the sanctuary! And yet, the Psalm lifts our gaze above the squabbles and disappointments we may have experienced (and contributed to) in our churches to what can be, indeed to what God intended us to be and to enjoy: living, working, serving one another in good and pleasant unity.
So how do we get back to God’s intent? First, we must remember that when we gather with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are actually meeting with God (Matthew 18:20). He must be at the centre of our meeting, at the heart of every service project, Bible study, committee, and worship service, for it takes the power of God’s Spirit dwelling in us to achieve unity. Even Jesus’ disciples suffered the disunity of selfish ambition until Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit drew them together in purpose and in love. We need that same Spirit within us. We also do well to remember that we have an enemy who will stop at nothing to sow the seeds of disunity among us. We must be on our guard and pray for love and humility towards our brothers and sisters. The stakes are high, because when we do at last come together, lay ourselves aside, and put God front and centre of our collaborations, such goodness flows forth that the world will be shaken by it. Like the walls of Jericho crumbling at the unified shouts of God’s people, or like the Roman empire succumbing to the unrelenting love of the early church, we will see glimpses of God’s kingdom coming in our midst. How good and how pleasant!
Prayer
Lord God, I long to live in unity with your people by the power of your Spirit. Help me to put aside my selfish ambition and love for autonomy, and give me a humble spirit to put others before myself. Bring unity in my church and in your Church at large. Your Kingdom come in our midst. Amen.
Application
Are you intentionally dwelling with other believers? Examine your heart before the Lord and ask Him to show you where you may have isolated yourself or brought disunity instead of unity among His people. Ask Him to replace any autonomy with His servant’s spirit.
Related Reading
John 17:21-23; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:16
