Harmony, it is the agreement of things together. It is a consistent orderly, and pleasing arrangement of parts coming together. When you build a house, you have many different parts coming together to make a home. You must have walls in harmony with the roofline, electrical lines running without obstructing the studs where the sheetrock will be secured, the plumbing must be lined up with the sink openings, and on and on we go until we have a complete house. Once you finish the house the new owners never think about the harmony of all the construction unless it doesn’t flow properly. Then everyone notices. In music when you have different parts singing their own notes the harmony is so good, they can be sung without accompaniment, and it would sound like the piano was still playing. Now, that’s perfect harmony. In Romans 12:16 we are instructed in the body of believers to be in harmony with one another. The key to having harmony with other believers is being of the same mind, without pride, and full of humility.
Romans 12:16 “Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.”
Paul gives us a repeat of the main thought in Romans 12:3. Thirteen verses later he introduces this same attitude we are to have about ourselves. We are not to have an elevated view of ourselves. This is something every person deals with. It is a subconscious attitude we cultivate from the time we are little kids, and our parents continually praise us for everything we do. If you do not believe kids love it, watch them and they’ll do it again to gain your applause. Because we are born with a sinful nature, we are full of the sin that caused Satan to be thrown into Hell. The sin of pride. It is a hideous sin that can mask itself in many ways in our lives, and a sin we must fight against.
Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
In our key verse, Paul is teaching us to “be of the same mind.” It is hard to see our own faults because we get so hung up on the faults of others. Yet, knowing we are not perfect it would do us well every day to ask God to help us to forget about ourselves and think only of bringing glory to Him. Asking Him to show us weak areas in our lives that we are blinded to. Pride thinks about me and what I can do, and humility thinks about what God can do if I will yield to Him completely. If a brother or sister has an idea listen, if it is not sinful yield. Do not argue about how your way is best but ask God to help you use their idea in a way that is honoring to Him. Sometimes our way is best, but distention turns our way into sin. People around us inside and outside the church see the discord and it paints a black eye on the church. It takes the focus off Jesus and puts it on people. When this happens, Satan has won the battle. Pride conflicts with harmony. I Peter 3:8 gives us the recipe for having the same mind. We are to have compassion, putting ourselves in another’s shoes. We are to love each other as we would our own brother or sister, thinking about how our actions will affect their life. The word pitiful that Peter uses means sympathetic and tender-hearted. To be courteous is to be kind.
I Peter 3:8 “ Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:”
We are to condescend to those of low estate. Jesus is our example of how we should live our lives, and He was a great example of this. He did not seek out those who were considered rich and powerful by the world. Those He chose to spend time with were all those of humble common life. They were carpenters, fishermen, and men of average occupations. However, he also did not snub those well-educated or those with a sinful reputation. Luke was a doctor, Nicodemus was an elite member of the Jewish community, and Matthew and Zacchaeus were both tax collectors. Jesus treated everyone the same because we are all the same. We are sinners in need of a Savior!
We are not to be wise in our own eyes. This is so hard but vital to the health of the body of Christ. It does not mean you should not share your knowledge, but rather how you share your knowledge and how you view yourself with your knowledge. We are not to be puffed up but humbled by an act of God that allowed us to have His word and the ability to understand it. In the books of Isaiah and Proverbs, this subject is clear. It takes what we know and makes it unprofitable to the body because of the way we use it.
Isaiah 5:21 “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!”
Proverbs 3:7 “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”
Proverbs 26:12 “Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.”
Just like the perfect blend of music in voices and instruments are pleasing to our ears, harmony among God’s people is pleasing to Him. When His church is harmonious, without self-exaltation, and covered in humility, we are a great example of the Trinity. Each has specific roles to play, but all are one!
