Celebrate Communion often. Recognize that Communion is a powerful experience that spiritually unifies you with God and other believers. Celebrate it often, as members of the early church did. But be sure to evaluate the state of your relationship with God and other believers before taking Communion. If you need to confess sin or ask for or grant forgiveness, do so first, and then you can participate in Communion with a clear conscience and in right standing with God.

Seek to please God instead of other people. Don’t waste your time and energy trying to please other people, even if they are fellow believers. Instead, focus on pleasing God through your thoughts, words, and actions, and know that by doing so He will bring you into true unity with others.

Constantly seek God’s will. Understand that every decision is ultimately a spiritual decision, because God cares about every choice you make, and your choices add up to shape what kind of person you become. Keep seeking God’s will in all situations, including those in which you need His guidance to get along well with other people.

Pray for each other. Intercede regularly for other believers. Get to know them and regularly pray for their specific concerns. Share your concerns with them and ask them to pray for you, as well. Follow up with each other by talking about how God has answered the prayers.

Appreciate diverse styles of worship. Understand that, just as God has created people with different personalities, it’s natural for believers to prefer different styles of worship. Don’t expect other believers to worship the same way you do. Give them the freedom to express their worship in the ways that bring them closest to God.

Respect church leaders. Remember that Jesus Himself will judge church leaders; it isn’t your place to do so. Ask God to help you respect them and be a blessing to them and others in your church.

Control your thoughts and words. Be proactive about choosing not to think negative thoughts or speak harsh words, which can bring great destruction in your relationships with other believers. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind, and focus on thinking positive thoughts and speaking encouraging words.

Ask God to show you His vision of what the church can be. Pray for God to reveal His vision to you of what a loving, unified church should look like. Focus on that instead of the problems you see around you, and work to become part of the solution.

Keep saying “Yes!” to God. Whenever God calls you to do something, trust Him and faithfully answer Him, expecting Him to use you to accomplish good purposes.

Adapted from One Spirit One Church, copyright 2007 by Christine Ayala. Published by Pleasant Word, a division of Winepress Publishing, Enumclaw, Wa., www.winepresspub.com. 
Christine Ayala has been involved in some level of ministry since she was a teen. She has worked as a music director, liturgist, and pastoral assistant. She founded One Spirit One Church Ministries and now devotes herself to spreading the message of overcoming division and achieving oneness in the church. She is married with two teen sons, and resides in Washington State.