One Center, Open Arms
An open door with warm light, a picture of receiving one another in the Lord.
Devotional Credit: In Christ, E. Stanley Jones
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Philippians 2:29 to 30 calls believers to receive one another in the Lord with joy. In today’s entry, E. Stanley Jones puts the spotlight on our shared center. Jesus Himself is the meeting place. When He is the center, minor differences stay at the edges. When anything else becomes the center, we drift into labels, scowls, and distance.
Jones presses a simple shift. Unity grows when the question moves from what do you believe on every secondary point, to whom do you trust. If we belong to Jesus, we belong to one another. To exclude a brother or sister who is in the Lord is to push away the very One who joined us.
This lands in ordinary life. We meet believers with different backgrounds, styles, and preferences. The call is not to erase differences. The call is to welcome one another in the Lord, to keep Jesus at the center, and to let love do its quiet work.
I am grateful for this reminder. Christ has made us one. The Holy Spirit is faithful to hold us together in peace as we yield to Him. Open arms come from an open center.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I draw you to the center where Jesus is. Receive one another in the Lord with joy. Welcome one another as God has welcomed you in His Son. Be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.
I call you into the prayer of the Son, that you may be one so the world may know the Father sent Him. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body. Put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with one another, forgive one another, and above all put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Remember who you are. You are in Christ, a new creation. You are members of one body, individually members of one another. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. He Himself is your peace. He has made both one and has broken down the dividing wall. Walk by the Spirit. Let your words give grace. Pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding.
Scripture references: Philippians 2:29 to 30, Romans 15:7, Ephesians 4:1 to 6, John 17:21 to 23, Colossians 3:12 to 15, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 12:4 to 5, 1 Corinthians 12:12 to 27, Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 2:14 to 18, Galatians 5:16, Ephesians 4:29, Romans 14:19, Psalm 133.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a round kitchen table at home. Different dishes sit in the center, and everyone reaches from where they are seated. If the centerpiece is in place, conversation flows and people draw closer. If each person drags their own plate to the middle and argues for space, the meal turns tense. Keeping Jesus at the center is like keeping the shared dish where it belongs. The Holy Spirit makes room in our hearts so we can reach toward one place together.
Try this today. When you meet a believer who sees a minor issue differently, look to the Lord who lives in you and quietly say, Lord, I trust You to welcome through me right now. Then ask a kind question, listen without hurry, and affirm the shared center you both cherish.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in Jesus You have made us one. Thank You for welcoming me in Your Son and for giving Your Spirit to knit hearts together in peace. I receive my brothers and sisters as gifts from Your hand. I choose the center that never shifts, Your Son. Lord, I trust You to love through me today, to keep my words gentle, and to make me an instrument of peace.