December 24, 2025 Devo

Two years ago, there was a group of swimmers in danger in Panama Beach, Florida. A couple of young boys got pulled out by a riptide and couldn’t get back to shore. As they yelled for help, a group of seven adults swam out to help them. But they, too, got caught in the undercurrent and couldn’t get back. The nine screamed for help to people on the beach. People wanted to help, but no one wanted to risk their life in the treacherous riptides.
Finally, one couple came up with a brilliant idea. Form a human chain. With a strong string of onshore “anchormen,” a crowd of 40-50 people began to move into the water, arm in arm. When they got close to the struggling swimmers, the two on the end swam out and helped them, one by one, make it to the human chain. They were able to hand the tired swimmers down, from person to person, all the way to the shore. All nine were saved, and a horrible tragedy was avoided. It’s amazing what people can do when they choose to work together.
Can you imagine how much more fun our families would be if we all decided to pull together instead of simply looking out for ourselves? Can you imagine how much more productive our jobs would be if we decided to work together towards the goal, rather than all fighting for a higher place in the food chain? Can you imagine how much more effective our churches would be if we stopped arguing over all the petty issues, stopped demanding that things be done our way, and started putting advancing the Kingdom of God above our own desires? Unity isn’t simply “pleasant” because it’s peaceful. It’s pleasant because it’s POWERFUL! Goals are accomplished. Bonds are developed. And in cases like Panama City and churches, lives and souls are saved.
What could YOU do to create greater unity? How has selfishness or putting your needs above the needs of others caused hurt in your home, stress on your job, or problems in your church? In what ways might God be asking you to be a more willing part of a “chain” rather than just an independent link? Are you willing to let go of YOUR demands, YOUR wants and desires, and YOUR preferences? Unity is hard because it requires that we put the “whole” above ourselves. That’s something many people aren’t willing to do.
But what if we were? What might God do if we became the first links in a chain of unity? Maybe God would use us as the “anchormen” to change our homes, change our jobs, and change our churches. Maybe those places would become a lot more pleasant to be a part of. And maybe a lot more POWERFUL, too! That’s God’s Word for you today.