Chapter 8: Unity in Diversity

The Significance of the Individual

Do you sense that God is calling you to have an impact on the university, but you do not see how your contributions could ever be important in the overall scheme of things?

When you understand that the vision of Christian Leadership Ministries is to impact the university for Christ, and you know that God is calling you to join in this endeavor, then you need to realize that this ministry will only reach its fullest potential when you are faithful to fulfill the role God has for you.

The place to begin is by developing a deep, abiding relationship with Christ. The illustration of the vine and the branches in John 15 makes it clear that a vital love relationship with Christ is essential if our lives are to bear lasting fruit. If Jesus is the vine, however, each of us is only one small branch. Many branches are necessary to provide all the fruit God intends.

When we get wrapped up in the details of life (even the enjoyable ones), it is easy to forget the emphasis Scripture places on our relationships with other believers. Even Jesus' prayer on the night before His death, found in John 17, was a prayer for oneness among believers. When we get involved in a task, it can be a natural response to begin to view those working with us as obstacles to reaching our goals. When we do, we miss the blessing of working together the way God has intended. Faculty wives may be a diverse group, but we are called together by God to accomplish a specific purpose. Each of us is important.

The Body at Work

In the New Testament, the church is often referred to as the "body of Christ"--a term which illustrates both its unity and diversity. For a group of believers who are called of God to come together to accomplish some greater purpose, it can be helpful to remember the insights we gain through examining this illustration. To ignore these principles of unity in diversity is to reduce the effectiveness of our ministry. To be in tune with them is to be more in line with God's purposes for us as His people.

As we work together to achieve the vision God has given, it can be helpful to think of a bicyclist heading toward the summit of a mountain. While the details of the mountain are not obvious from a distance, she knows where she is heading. She may not be able to see the entire road ahead, but each portion is revealed as she continues to make progress. Each part of this picture can be compared to a group of believers working together to accomplish the purpose God has set out for them.

The mountain in the distance illustrates the vision God has given. This must constantly be kept before the people. Every person should know where the ministry is heading and should have confidence that those in leadership have laid aside their own agendas and are seeing clearly the vision God is laying out. The value of every activity should be measured in light of how it relates to this vision.

The bicycle illustrates the physical structure of the ministry made up of its material resources and its organizational structure. The handle bars are the ability to adjust to obstacles in the road. The spokes of the wheels are the various ministries designed to meet the needs of the people. Without these ministries, people would not have the opportunity of growing to full maturity in Christ. The more these ministries are in balance with God's design, the more efficient the wheels will be in getting the body down the road. The frame of the bike is the Word of God. Everything else is built on this undergirding framework.

The two pedals represent two types of activities. While there is an obvious overlap between these two, most activities can be categorized as momentum or spiritual growth.

One pedal represents the momentum activities--that is, anything designed to gather new people, or to involve those currently interested in the activities of the ministry. This could include a great variety of activities such as evangelistic outreaches, large group prayer meetings, dinners, conferences, and other special events. Even things such as aerobic classes and potluck suppers can contribute to the momentum of the ministry.

The other pedal represents the spiritual growth activities. While some aspects of large group meetings fall into this category, so do small group Bible studies, discipleship, and evangelism training.

The cyclist represents the body of Christ, or the people that are a part of the ministry. Each part of the body represents people with different gifts and responsibilities within the group. The knees are the prayer warriors. The hands are those who provide mercy ministries. The feet represent those who take the gospel to the world and advance the cause of Christ. The elbows represent those who provide the behind-the-scenes "grunt" work and are seldom recognized, but sorely needed. The eyes are the visionaries who constantly keep in sight the ultimate vision of the ministry. The eyes also represent those in leadership who keep us on the road and watch for potential obstacles. The ears and the nervous system are the listeners who keep tabs on the rest of the body, and are always there with a needed word of encouragement. The head, of course, represents Christ.

The oxygen is the final but most important part of this illustration. This represents the Holy Spirit. The ministry can go nowhere apart from recognizing its total dependence upon the Holy Spirit. As the body learns to function better together by equipping each part and helping each muscle to develop to its fullest potential, it becomes more and more dependent upon the oxygen. It can never get to the point of saying, "I know what I'm doing now, I'll take it from here without You."

Unique and Valuable

The people who make up the body of Christ are very diverse. The bicyclist illustration helps us to understand that all the parts of the body must be working together to move efficiently toward the goal. God has uniquely gifted each of us for a portion of the task. Without each person actively fulfilling his or her intended role the body will never accomplish its intended purpose. For the hands to steer the bike, the eyes must remain clear and focused on the goal. For the feet to continue pushing the pedals, the legs and the knees must be strong and continue performing their function.

We may not know all the details of what the view from the mountain will look like, nor do we know the obstacles and opportunities we will encounter on the road. However, as we individually learn to depend on God and grow daily in our relationship with Him, He will take us through anything that lies ahead. And, as we learn to function as a body the way God has intended, we will experience the purpose and fulfillment that He has planned for us.

If God is calling you to be a part of affecting the university for Christ, you have a choice as to how you will respond. If your response is "Yes, me!" instead of "Who, me?" you can take encouragement from the principles of unity in diversity that the Scriptures make so clear.

No one else in the world can fill the role that God has uniquely prepared for you in the university setting..{1}

Endnotes

{1}©1995, Cathe Cleveland. Cathe is the wife of Dr. Paul Cleveland, Professor of Finance at Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama.

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