Daily Worship

The gift of unity

Laura Digan January 27, 2026 0 0
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1 Corinthians 1: 10-18 (NIV-UK)

10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: one of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptised in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptise any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptised in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptised the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptised anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to preach the gospel – not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

In 1 Corinthians the apostle Paul reminds us that unity is not something we negotiate or achieve through agreement alone. Unity is a gift rooted in Christ himself. 

When we divide ourselves by labels, leaders or loyalties, we lose sight of the cross that holds us all together. God’s wisdom does not depend on power or eloquence but on the self-giving love that was revealed to us in Jesus. 

Unity grows when we return to that centre. At the cross, our pride is undone and competition fades because we all stand equal in need of grace. 

God’s gift of unity calls us to listen more deeply, to lay down our need to be right and let Christ, not our preferences, shape our relationships and our shared witness to the world. 

 

Prayer:

 

Christ our centre, bring our divided hearts back to Your cross.

Make us one in humility, love and faith

Amen