Holding Unity for Ransom

With the challenge of coming of one heart with the required Guide and Standard, I wished to look at some of the fruits coming from this effort, particularly the wild fruits, in hope that the wild can make way for good fruits.

1. Disunity: The best way would be to become of one mind with God before attempting to become of one mind and heart with others. But our fears, ambitions, blindness etc. can prevent us from understanding the mind of God. If we don't understand the mind of God and yet try to bring people to be one with our own heart and mind, we likely err, and create or prolong disunity. It may lead us to oppose the errand of God, and the specific people God has used as a vessel for a specific work. This is rebellion against God Himself.
2. Fear: As an example, we'll use the fear of potentially coming under the control of another (also one to note is a fear of not being heard). The ironic problem about letting a fear of being controlled prevent unity, is that in an effort to avoid the object of that fear, we may become the ones controlling others, essentially (though, perhaps not intentionally) holding unity for ransom unless everyone agrees with our way, whether or not we are correct. This fear, as mentioned above, prevents one from understanding the counsel and mind of God, so unity in this would not be unity with God.
3. Rebelliousness: Pride, fear, among other things can keep us believing we are the correct ones, and prevents us from a sincere inquiry of the Lord in the matter. Or if we do, we disbelieve it over our own understanding, unwilling to receive correction. By doing this we may be found in open rebellion against the errand of God, and against His direction to us.
4. Defensiveness: If we cannot hear an opposing side to our own without getting defensive, we are bearing wild fruit. Meekness is not defensiveness. If our ideas or understanding are opposed, we should see if the opposition has merit. Some prayerful, sincere pondering on the matter can open the situation up to our minds in greater clarity, allowing for correction in our errors.

Please, if you have examined yourself objectively and found one of these fruits in your actions, please, please correct this. I recognize my own tendency to bear some of these wild fruits on occasion, and do not claim perfection in this. I am likewise on a mission to purge these from myself.

If we find ourselves in disunity, let us be looking inward first, before continuing. After having dispelled our own stumbling blocks and negative fruits like some that have been mentioned already (fear, pride, rebelliousness, defensiveness, etc) and inquiring and receiving God's counsel, asking the all important question (fearless of any answer! And willing to listen), "Is it I, Lord?" If after this we find that we must continue, then let us do so according to the direction of the Lord in The Answer and Covenant. I realize many if not most of us are already working towards this ideal, so please forgive my repeating of what has been said so many times, over again.