We both burst out laughing. We couldn’t help it. My writing critique partner and I were going over an article I wrote in which I stated we are all untied in Christ. Typo.
I meant the word united, of course. My dyslexic fingers reversed the letters i and t.
Hmmm. Then we both looked at each other and grinned. “Blog topic!” I cried out.
She nodded. She knows me too well.
What keeps things untied instead of united? It’s a matter of the strength and tightness of the strings, isn’t it? One draws together, the other pulls apart.
When a person ties their shoes, they pull the strings, which in turn, draw the two flaps of the shoe to become interlinked together. The shoe becomes tight. It won’t come off as easily. It is sturdy and secure.
Unite the strings and the two flaps separate. Now the foot can easily slide out. Anyone who has watched a toddler wobble with untied shoelaces knows it is a trip hazard.
We, believers, are no different. To be strong and secure in Christ’s love we must be bound together. Christianity is meant to be a community thing, not just a “me and Jesus” fest. That is why we are His Body. We are made to interact, support, and work with each other as the parts of the shoe do when strung together. As the author of Hebrews warned, let’s not give up meeting together as some have been the habit of doing (10:25). Satan’s battle plan has always been to divide and then conquer.
When we are united in Christ, we are drawn together by His love into a solid unit. Christ’s love is the “tie” that binds us. He interweaves us together so we can become stronger in our faith, in our commitment, and in our service to others. It is hard to slip out of His grasp when we are tightly bound together.
But, once we begin to wriggle loose, we slip away from the other members of the Body. We are separated a bit so it is easier to slide out of the binds that previously bound us. The longer we remain apart, the further away we tend to get from not only our faith but the fellowship with other Christians. Oh, we may still go to church and smile and pretend everything is hunky-dory. But the close-knit feeling is missing. After a while, we may fool ourselves into believing church attendance is less important than a few more hours of sleep.
Slowly, other things in our lives loosen. Our habits, maybe our tongues? Our morals?
It’s all a matter of where we place the i and t –the “it” in our lives. United shows that U ‘n I are together. Let the “t” (temptation) separate U and I and we are no longer as closely bound together.
What is the “t” that threatens to separate you from Christ and perhaps other believers who make up the Church (Body of Christ)? Pride, unforgiveness, hurt, doubt, anger?
When one of us is not in church to worship and fellowship, the whole Body suffers. We need each other like the two halves of leather on a shoe. 
Let’s U ‘n I make every effort to draw together often so we can be strong ties to our Lord through His love and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our faith, attitudes, and service will be better for it.
People will notice the unity that binds us in Christ’s love. We may also find our lives seem less unraveled as well.
Where Did You Find God Today? 