We are less than a month away from Valentine’s Day, the day we celebrate our love, especially for our spouse! It is impossible to have a working marriage or any other kind of relationship without being in agreement in most areas of life. A Good Book reads, “How can two walk together except they agree?” All married couples understand the importance of unity, but there are so many who have no idea how to make it happen. I trust these words will help!
Marriages that last longer than the “honeymoon experience” understand the power of cooperation, especially in building a home, even one that is non-traditional. Blended families have challenges other families know nothing of, and in our present society, it seems we have more blended families than what used to be called “the nuclear family”. From my studies, I have leaned that for unity to become fully embedded in a couple’s relationship, they must embrace its purpose, source, and impact.
The purpose of unifying love is mission. When disunity takes root in our homes or individual lives, the mission suffers, and the collateral damage is always relationships! When one wins, the team loses! When only one excels, the team spirit is broken, even shattered! People will recognize the value of our home by the amount of love, true love and not lust, they witness. Jesus even said that this world will recognize us as a family unit by our love for each other. The mission, the family unit is lost when love is not present!
The source of unity is humility. Pride causes disunity one hundred percent of the time. Prideful people believe they are always right and insist on getting their way. Only in a song will “I did it my way” ever work! My bride is much more important then my being right. I have learned after many failures, that when I have to be right, I am always wrong! Living this truth requires a posture of humility that always puts our spouses before ourselves! I am attempting to learn that “we” is always stronger than “me”! The older I get the more I realize the value of a “help mate”, which means in the Hebrew language “the exact opposite”. I have never needed a bigger Erny, but have learned I desperately need a Joane!
The impact of unity is multiplications. Unity can never be limited to a small group of people. Unity will always cause expansion. It takes unity for the “two to become one”! We no longer have our individual toys, but everything that is mine, I have learned is hers! We share everything from meals to bathrooms! Our great days and our bad ones are things we work on together. Sorrows are halved and joys are doubled when one has a unified love.
Unity can never be limited to just “us two and no more”! When we understand the power of unity, we will always share it with those in our communities. Port O’Connor women are stronger by being a part of the Ladies Service Club. Churches are much stronger by us together coming and filling our pews. The needy have their basic necessities met as we give together, like we did with our Thanksgiving and Christmas Baskets. I helped direct three United Way Campaigns and have had it reinforced that together we can always accomplish more than we can separately! Our best efforts are bettered when we put them with others.
Valentine’s Day will be much sweeter when we have unity in our homes and in our community. In fact, Valentine’s Day can continued 365 days when we will allow it! May we find the full benefits of unit’s purpose, source, and impact. Allow love to find its unity!
