Today’s devotion builds on yesterday.

John 17:22-23 (NASB95): “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

Colossians 3:13-14 (NASB95): “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”

Romans 15:7 (NASB95): “Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.”

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Day 7: Reintegration and Unity (The Resurrection)

In the study of relational health, the ultimate goal of healing trauma is never just extreme independence. The goal is interdependence—the ability to reintegrate into a healthy community where you can safely interact, fully known and entirely unjudged. When an individual has a deeply secure attachment, they no longer feel the need to prove themselves or tear others down to feel safe.

This psychological reality mirrors the deepest heart cry of Jesus. Jesus’ love for us stirred Him to pray that all His followers would be united to one another in love, and united to Him. He prayed that we would abide in His love, that all of us may be one. It is incredibly important to the Lord that we be unified.

When we finally receive the unconditional love of God, the need to judge others completely dissolves. Siding with the enemy as an “accuser of the brethren” loses its appeal. We realize that we are all perfectly level at the foot of the cross. There is no “big I or little U”.

In the physical world, true community often reveals itself at the intersections of our deepest needs. Life can be difficult, and sometimes relationships can leave us physically exhausted and desperately in need of time to ourselves. When we find a community that refreshes us with zero judgment, it is a picture of the unified body of Christ. One thing I learned on the Appalachian Trail is: It doesn’t matter how fast you hiked or how heavy your pack is; there is only the shared bond of the trail and the provision of grace.

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” — Mother Teresa

“We are all broken, and we are all beautiful. In a securely attached community, our brokenness is not a reason for exclusion; it is the very place where connection begins.” — Dr. Curt Thompson

Mary Magdalene went to the empty tomb and found the perfect love that conquered death. But she didn’t stay there alone. Jesus told her to go to His brothers. The resurrection was not just about conquering the grave; it was about bringing a broken family back together. When we walk in the reality of the resurrection, we stop judging sins and simply look for Jesus in everyone we meet. We step out of the tomb, together, wrapped in the perfect love that has come to set each and every one of us free.

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Reflection Questions

1. Are there people in your life you find yourself quietly judging in order to make yourself feel more spiritually secure?
2. What would it look like for you to “look for Jesus” in the most difficult people you interact with this week?

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Father,

Thank You for the resurrection power that not only conquered the grave but brings our “broken family” back together. Thank You for the grace we find in a secure community and for the shared bonds that refresh us when the journey leaves us exhausted. Forgive me for the times I have sought security by quietly judging others. Remind my heart constantly that we are all perfectly level at the foot of the cross.

Lord, help me to bear with others and to forgive freely, just as You have forgiven me. Give me the eyes to look for Jesus in everyone I meet, and the humility to accept them just as Christ accepted us. Strip away my need to prove myself, and bind us together in Your perfect love so that the world may know we belong to You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.