Pastoral reflectionGod commissions true unity; it is founded on covenant with Him. The Bible teaches that it is good to live in unity with others (Psalm 133:1 NRSV). Ephesians chapter 4 verse 3 says, “the church should make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3 NRSV). Furthermore, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 13 tells us that “the church must come to the unity of the faith of the Son of God to bring about the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 NRSV). In other words, God desires unity among His believers based on His purpose for the Kingdom. He wants the church unified in the Spirit, faith, and mind of Christ to work together for the building of the kingdom. Unity is essential for the survival of the body of Christ. Therefore, unity that is not founded on the covenant with God is false unity. As a result, the people of Babel lived in unity, but God did not commission it. The unit was established to carry out a plan contrary to God's plan. The plan was motivated by pride, and God hates pride. He hates pride because pride breeds disunity and destroys our relationship with Him. According to the Scriptures, pride causes strife, disgrace, a haughty spirit, and ultimately the wrath of God (Prov. 11:2; 13:10 ; 4.18pm NRSV). So the unity of Babel was a false unity. Consequently, in God's eyes the problem was not unity but pride. God's view on pride differs from our view. In God's eyes pride is good if that pride is in God, or pride in other people. Furthermore, taking pride in yourself without comparing yourself to others is also positive. (Psalm 34:2; 1 Cor. 1:31; 1 Cor. 7:4; Gal. 6:4 NRSV). However, pride in appearance, wealth and achievements are disrespectful in the eyes of G...... middle of paper ......mble believers are not seeking fame; instead they exalt the name of Christ. Furthermore, humble believers are not offended when others receive praise and thanks. Thus, humble believers recognize their weaknesses. As members of the body of Christ and representatives of God, we must stop working for our own causes and work for the kingdom. Our lives must reflect God's grace and mercy. The best lesson we can learn is to recognize God in all our plans. Ultimately, His plans will come to fruition and He will protect us from ourselves. Ultimately, unless we humble ourselves and unite in the name of Jesus, we will live our lives plagued by confusion. Teresa of Avila suggested that to perfect our soul we should “Let humility always be at work like the bee in the honeycomb, otherwise all will be lost.” God will not allow plans contrary to His plans to succeed.