This heartfelt devotional by Denise focuses on unity in the body of Christ and the reality of spiritual warfare, drawing from Ephesians 6. She warns that unforgiveness and disunity are tactics of the enemy to weaken believers and the church.
Denise shares a moving story about her adopted daughter, Sasha, who battles deep rejection from past trauma. They reflect on how even small offenses can reopen old wounds, and how forgiveness is essential—not to excuse wrongs, but to bring healing and restore unity.
The message highlights Jesus’ prayer in John 17 for believers to be united, and references Romans 12, urging peace and trust in God’s justice. It concludes with a prayer for healing, forgiveness, and a renewed commitment to walk in love and unity
Highlights
- 🙏 The spiritual battle is real, focusing on forces beyond flesh and blood.
- 💔 Unforgiveness and disunity are powerful weapons of the enemy.
- 👧 Denise’s daughter Sasha shares the deep pain of rejection and the struggle to forgive.
- 💡 Forgiveness is crucial for healing wounds and restoring one’s relationship with God.
- ✝️ Jesus’ prayer in John 17 emphasizes unity among believers as a testimony to the world.
- 🕊️ Romans 12 calls believers to live at peace and leave vengeance to God.
- 🤝 Unity in the body of Christ is essential for overcoming darkness and demonstrating Christ’s love.
Key Insights
- 🛡️ Spiritual Warfare is the Underlying Battle: Denise stresses that the conflicts believers face are not merely interpersonal but spiritual, rooted in the “rulers, authorities, spiritual forces of evil” described in Ephesians 6. This insight reminds Christians to be vigilant and prayerful, recognizing that disunity and hurt feelings are often exploited by the enemy to divide and weaken the church. Understanding the spiritual dimension changes how one approaches conflict and forgiveness.
- 💔 The Deep Impact of Unforgiveness and Rejection: Sasha’s story illustrates how past wounds, especially those involving rejection and loss, intensify the pain caused by present hurts. This highlights that emotional and spiritual healing is often layered and requires ongoing forgiveness work. It’s a poignant reminder that what might appear trivial to others can be deeply damaging to someone carrying heavy emotional baggage.
- 🕊️ Forgiveness is for the Forgiver’s Healing: Denise points out that forgiveness is not primarily about the offender’s awareness or repentance but about the one who forgives finding freedom and healing. Forgiving “Paulina,” a girl who hurt Sasha, is about removing the block in one’s own heart that hinders intimacy with God and peace. This reframes forgiveness as an act of self-liberation rather than condoning wrongdoing.
- ✝️ Unity as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer Focus: The reference to John 17 reveals that unity among believers is not a peripheral concern but central to Jesus’ mission and prayer. Jesus asks God to bring his followers into complete unity “as we are one,” underscoring that this spiritual unity reflects the relationship within the Godhead and is intended to be a powerful witness to the world. This elevates the pursuit of unity to a divine mandate with eternal significance.
- 🕊️ Peace as a Personal Responsibility: Romans 12’s instruction to live at peace “as far as it depends on you” places the onus on individuals to actively pursue reconciliation and peace, without expecting others to do all the work. This challenges believers to examine their own hearts and efforts before blaming others for conflict, emphasizing personal accountability in relationships.
- ⚖️ Leaving Vengeance to God Frees Us from Bitterness: The admonition to “not take revenge” but leave room for God’s wrath is profound because it acknowledges the pain of injustice while redirecting the desire for retaliation to God. This insight offers a healthy way to deal with hurt, preventing bitterness and anger from taking root, and trusting God’s justice and timing.
- 🌟 The Practical Challenge of Living Out Forgiveness and Unity: Denise’s message is not merely theological but deeply practical, especially as she relates it to current issues within the Chick Climber community and her family life. This demonstrates that spiritual principles must be lived out daily, often through difficult conversations and ongoing prayer. The call to persevere in forgiveness and unity despite challenges is a significant takeaway for any community striving to embody Christ’s love.
This devotional is a powerful reminder that spiritual unity and forgiveness are not optional but essential for the health of the church and individual believers. It challenges Christians to actively engage in healing wounds, pursuing peace, and reflecting the unity of the Trinity so that the world may see Jesus’ love through their relationships.