Made New: A 15–Day Devotional on Colossians 3 With Jada EdwardsSample

Our relationship with God should spill over to our relationships with other people. In Christ, we don’t get to be divisive—He has called us to unity. In today’s devotional, Jada reminds us that we are all brothers and sisters redeemed by the same Savior.

Reflect

For those in Christ, our collective identity as children of God should be reflected in how we engage each other. Our relationships are made new because we are spiritual siblings in a new family. Think of people in your immediate circles who come from different ethnic or economic backgrounds. In what ways do you treat them as your brothers or sisters in Christ? How can you celebrate your unity as God’s family while respecting the life experiences that make you unique from one another?

Jada reminded us that unity is more than looking and thinking alike. It’s believing that we are the same as everyone else “when we’re bonded in Christ Jesus.” Qualities that separate people—status, ethnicity, wealth, memberships, family, etc.—mean nothing to Jesus. We are all sons and daughters of God, a family united by our relationship with Him. In what ways, if any, have you let trivial differences obstruct a relationship? What could a renewed commitment to unity with that person look like?

Respond

We aren’t to reject anyone for thinking or looking differently than us. Rather, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we should seek to understand and move closer together despite our differences.

Is there a person in your life you have avoided or rejected because of disagreements of opinion or differences in personality and appearance? If it is possible and safe to do so, connect with that person in a spirit of humility and friendship. Let him or her know that you do not want your differences to divide you any longer.