STOP DIVIDING—START LOVING

People just look for reasons to divide from each other. It has always been that way.

Reasons to control.

Reasons to isolate.

Reasons to stand out and be seen.

I’ve been there. Many times, I’ve done that. And I can tell you now, by the mercy of God — you can change. You can stop it. You can give it to Jesus.

Stop living under the heavy yoke of legalism, and stop trying to place that same yoke on others. Focus on Christ. Live in a relationship of love for Him, not a system of rules about Him. Lay down all the trappings of ritualism and self-made religion. Let go of the need to prove, to control, or to be right — and rest in the righteousness of Jesus.

Don’t walk in legalism today. Walk in light.

Don’t tie yourself in knots wondering whether you’re supposed to pray to the Father or to Jesus — or if maybe you’ve somehow gotten that backward. The Bible shows that you can pray to both.

Jesus Himself taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9). But Stephen, as he was dying, prayed directly to Jesus: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59). Paul prayed to the Lord Jesus in 2 Corinthians 12:8 when he pleaded three times for the thorn in his flesh to be removed.

The Bible doesn’t hand us a step-by-step prayer formula because God expects us to be mature enough to live by principles, not prescriptions. He could have written another Leviticus full of ritual instructions — but the New Covenant is not written that way, because it’s not that kind of system.

We are not under that kind of law.

We are under the law of the heart — guided by the Spirit, shaped by love, and kept by grace.

So don’t let anyone control your faith. And don’t try to control anyone else’s. Let people breathe the fresh air of freedom in Jesus. Let them walk with Him intimately. They don’t need human mediators — they already have a perfect Mediator, Christ Himself (1 Timothy 2:5).

Do we have to say “in Jesus’ name” at the end of every prayer?

Do we have to baptize saying, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” — or should we say, “I baptize you in the name of Jesus”?

The answer?

Yes.

No.

It doesn’t matter.

These are not just words to recite. They are attitudes of the heart.

The Bible says, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). Does that mean we have to say “in Jesus’ name” at the end of every action? No. The power is not in the formula — it’s in the Father.

Yet people have split entire denominations over this, dividing themselves into camps over baptism formulas, theological labels, and the details of how to speak God’s name. Some argue about the Trinity, others about oneness theology — but here’s the truth: you cannot go wrong by loving Jesus.

He is everything you need.

The Father points to Him.

The Spirit glorifies Him.

All heaven sings about Him.

So why would we fight about the details of the name, when the power is in the Person?

We do the same thing with Bible translations. One person swears by the King James, another reads the New King James, another uses the ESV, the NIV, or the NLT (or whatever version they choose; they have that right) — and before long, people are refusing to fellowship with each other over which one they carry to church.

Let’s be honest. Most of that is not about doctrine — it’s about comfort. We’re used to what we know, and we don’t want to change. So we dig in our heels and call it “conviction.”

But division has long been the hallmark of man-made religion.

It’s unnecessary.

It’s unspiritual.

And it breaks the heart of Jesus, who prayed, “That they all may be one” (John 17:21).

So fight it — but not with more division.

Fight it with love.

Fight it in your own heart first.

Then fight it in the world by smiling, by embracing, by showing grace to those who haven’t yet learned to walk in it.

Don’t fight it with judgmentalism.

Don’t throw stones at those who throw stones.

Don’t sit in judgment on those who sit in judgment.

Don’t become a full-time critic of the critics.

You’ll only get tangled up in that web of bitterness.

I’m talking to myself as much as to anyone else.

We all need to hear this — again and again.

So let’s breathe deep.

Let’s forgive quickly.

Let’s major on what matters — Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Let’s walk in the light, not in the law.

And let’s remember that the only thing that counts, as Paul said, “is faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6).

Every division begins with pride — a need to be right, to be seen, to control. Every healing begins with humility — a willingness to bow before Jesus and say, “Lord, I am Yours. Make me more like You.”

When you love Him deeply, you’ll love others graciously.

When you rest in His grace, you’ll stop measuring everyone else’s performance.

And when you trust His finished work, you’ll stop trying to finish what He already completed on the cross.

Lord Jesus, deliver me from the spirit of division. Free me from the need to control or to be right. Teach me to live by grace, not by law — by love, not by pride. Keep my eyes on You, and my heart open to others. May I walk today in the light of Your truth, the freedom of Your Spirit, and the unity of Your love.

Amen.

Bryan Dewayne Dunaway