Unity is a tricky thing. I’ve sat in many a prayer room asking God to bring it, as perhaps you have, too. But how often, when it shows up, do we miss it? Perhaps we think God’s people dwelling in unity will feel good, look great, and that we’ll all agree. Maybe. Honestly, I hope so!  

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Often, though, I’ve noticed unity’s steady presence in the room when people choose to stay, to sit in challenging conversations rather than check out. I’ve recognized unity’s thrumming heartbeat in gatherings full of honest-hearted humans who simply refuse to let personal preference remain on the throne in place of Jesus, the true King over all the little things that tend to divide his children. I’ve seen unity swelling among church bodies that choose the gospel over their own glory and authentic love of the lost over image. Unity isn’t found in placid agreement, smiles pasted on for the sake of harmony. No, it seems unity is often found by wading through the twin mires of tension and sacrifice, of laying down our pride and giving up our rights.

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When we ask God to bring unity, do we know what we are asking to walk through to get there?  

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On the other side of the tension, we’re promised to find a place that the psalmist calls “good” and “pleasant.” Let’s look at both to learn why unity is always worth pursuing, even when finding it feels challenging.  

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Good - tob. It’s the same “good” God used when he looked at his creation and declared that it was good (Gen. 1:9). Tob reminds us that unity is a picture of life as it should be, as it was intended by the Creator, a snapshot of Heaven, if you will. The havoc sin has wreaked on our world makes the path toward unity wrought with hazards, pitfalls, and hangups - this is the tension we will wade through in pursuit of it. But when you find yourself in a space of unity - in your marriage, in a small group, with a friend, wherever it is - perhaps you’ll imagine God sitting back, admiring his work in your life, and with a smile, saying, Yes, that is good.

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Pleasant - na’im. This isn’t a “grin and bear it” kind of pleasant you might find characterizing Southern hospitality. No, this is sweetness and delight all rolled into one. Na’im is used elsewhere in the psalms to refer to the sweet harmonies of a song, flowing together and washing over you. It’s everything that feels right and beautiful, like a taste of God’s presence.  

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And the combo of these words just makes me think of the Garden - the goodness and pleasure of being with God in perfect unity with him and each other. But even the tastes of unity I’ve experienced here on Earth, they pale in comparison to that idealistic image. This is where it’s tricky - the unity we experience this side of Heaven, it’s not the full picture at all. It’s the barest taste, and every time we pursue it, we’ve got to hack through layers upon layers of dense, sinful undergrowth to get to it, just to catch a glimpse of what we’ve dreamed of and prayed for.  

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But this hard work, it’s so worth it. Because even a taste of authentic, God-breathed tob and na’im is one of the sweetest things you’ll ever experience this side of Heaven. So, no matter what you’re wading through to pursue unity today – in your family, your relationships, your work, whatever it is – don’t lose heart. Keep pursuing the unity God has for his people – there’s so much more goodness to be found!

Take a moment to thank God for where he’s brought unity in your life, group, and church so far, and ask him for more – that unity would increase around you for his glory and the good of others – amen!