United We Stand

By Tamra Andress

We’re facing friction from every side as kingdom leaders: conflict with each other and resistance from the enemy. We can’t win either battle because we as Christians—who are supposed to be on the same team—are so busy defending our positions against one another, rather than taking on the enemy. That enemy, of course, is principalities, not other brothers and sisters.

But here we are, pitted against one another while corporations, agendas and even entertainment and media outlets garner attention and praise for collaboration in their collective initiatives that often take the place of the work the body of Christ should be doing. We are muted because the enemy says, “Why fight against those who are too occupied fighting amongst themselves? Why not let them internally combust?”

What if we dropped the longtime divisions and operated in unity? What if we broke down the silos of denomination, ethnicity, economic status, job sectors and spheres of influence? What if we shifted in our understanding of sacred versus secular to the truth that anything that’s not sin is sacred?

This type of approach is not new. It’s been in existence since the ancient church. The difference is that then the ekklesia operated outside the four walls. In fact, family, marketplace and communal city-wide impact work was accomplished in the public square, not from a pulpit or palace.

Don’t miss my heartbeat. The four walls of the church are critical, but we should be operating as hospitals and sending people out healed rather than hoarding their bodies for seats and pursuing a singular vision. If we as leaders—whether in church or in our businesses and organizations—were more focused on securing our identity as the whole pure bride and operating in love as He has loved us, we’d be fighting a battle on our knees. We’d be at His feet rather than at each other’s throats.

So how do we break down the barriers internally to create new infrastructure, reestablish a solid foundation of fresh, heavenly strategy?

Bringing leaders together to vision cast and act in one accord with Spirit-led biblical strategy.

Focusing on personal revival for our congregations, teams and communities, which will initiate a spiritual awakening.

Developing communication strategies with emphasis on SQ (spiritual quotient) rather than EQ (emotional quotient) and IQ (intelligence quotient). This is a also known as spiritual revenue.

Designing citywide shared resource strategies with the evenhandedness of Christ.

Learning to bring childlike imagination back to the table of communion for experiential faith rather than religiosity.

What if it turns out to be simple? What if one leader from each silo I noted above—denomination, ethnicity, economic status, job sectors, spheres of influence—showed up monthly among their counterpart silos in representation to become more like Christ rather than to build a singular brand, mission or name for themselves? Could we start today and truly heal from the inside out to become a force representing the Source?

This ideation is not completely novel. There are organizations like The Founder Collective, At Work on Purpose and Faith At Work initiatives that are carrying this DNA into the workplace, building bridges between the divisions of business and faith.

So, if this piques your interest, and you are confident and courageous enough to raise your hand, know that you aren’t starting from zero but from a firm foundation with a cornerstone that is indestructible. Too often we build out of flesh and from a place of fear, even when we have pure intentions to serve. However, that is not what we are called to, and we have victory and dominion to establish a movement from a foundation of the greatest message of all time.

Are you ready to carry the mission forward, standing against societal norms and cultural traps to create an unignorable cohesion that cancels enemy strategies to divide?