“With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3

In One Accord

Walk His Way Revisited

First Posted April, 2014

In my devotions one day, I was convicted about disunity.

Normally I am a person who likes to keep peace, avoid confrontation, and let grace reign when there are differences of opinion. This has served me well throughout my life. I have maintained a sort of balance or equilibrium that isnʼt often ruffled.

Acts 2:1-4 tells of an amazing event in church history: “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak, with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Did you catch the pre-condition to the Holy Spiritʼs filling and the manifestation of His Presence? It was that the people were all with one accord in one place.

Being with one accord means that the people were unanimous, mutually consenting, in agreement, having group unity, having one mind and purpose. They were intellectually and emotionally in harmony.*

If we are at odds with the Lord—if we are not mutually consenting to His will for us, if we do not agree with what He has allowed in our lives, if we are not of one mind with His purposes—then we have blocked the flow of the Spirit within us. We need to realign ourselves with His will.

If we are in disagreement with other believers at our workplaces or in our ministry—if we are not bearing with them in love, endeavoring for unity and being bound together in peace—perhaps this is the reason we do not see more power, fullness, and work of the Spirit.

For some of us, the hardest place to be unified is in our own homes. It would take a book to explore this fully, but itʼs often true. When we are not forbearing (putting up graciously with differences and indiosyncracies), longsuffering, lowly and gentle towards one another in words and attitudes, then we will not see the full movement and power of the Holy Spirit.

We can live a long time not knowing that we are missing Godʼs best for us. But when He shows us whatʼs missing, it is up to us to respond. Is there a place in your life where your heart is convicted of disunity?

Lord, we confess that we are not in one accord in all our relationships. We desire Your Holy Spirit to flow in and through us, so help us live in unity with those You have placed in our lives. In Jesusʼ Name, Amen.

*Spirit-Filled Life Bible notes at Acts 2:1