One of the things I love about the English language is how words can contain hidden meanings. The same letters, when arranged slightly differently, can give us a whole different perspective.
Take the words UNTIE and UNITE.
By simply flipping two letters, the entire meaning of the word changes. It becomes the opposite of each other. One binds together, the other separates. Spell check won’t pick that up by the way, since both are real words. But oh, how different the meaning becomes when you mistakenly switch those to letters, doesn’t it?
Two letters make all the difference. I stands for “me” and T stands for “their, they or them”. If I put their needs above my own, I take on the servitude
attitude of Christ. But, as long as I stay in the two year old phase of my spiritual growth and think the world evolves around me and my desires, I will
separate people from me. My motives will be I-centered, not they-centered. Instead of being a unifying factor, I will push people away with my self-centeredness. Who wants to be around a selfish person?
But, you say, “Wait. That doesn’t work. In the word UNITE, I is before T.”
True, it doesn’t work, unless you add the UN – which means not. Therefore, if I am “un” I, (or not me orientated) I will unite. But, if I’m
“un” T (or not them orientated) , I will untie what once united me to them.
So what does the E stand forsince it is at the end of both UNITE and UNTIE?
Everything.
And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good
pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to unite everything in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. Ephesians 1:9-10
As Christians we are in the uniting business. We are to unite our wills to Christ. We are to unite as a body of believers. We are to bring people together instead of letting pride, envy, greed, prejudice or anger separate us. We have all fallen short of the glory of God, and while not condoning sin, we should not let anyone’s sin cloud our judgment. We are to love the sinner into remission, and help them back on the right path, thus uniting them back into the fold.
Christ is ultimately the uniting factor of all. He takes the unit (each of us) and makes it one. With Him as my
guide, I can try each day to do that as well, or try and tear it all apart with my selfish attitudes and remain a solitary unit.
Heavenly Lord, You came to unite all of us to You, to reconcile us by Your sacrifice on the cross and the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Help me
each day to put “them” before “I” in all I do, say and think, so I may draw those around me into Your loving embrace. Amen.
