WORTHY OF THE CALLING

TODAY'S READING: Ecc. 7-9; Eph. 4

SCRIPTURE

Eph. 4:1-3 [1] As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. [2] Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. [3] Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

OBSERVATION

What does worthy of the calling look like? It is being humble, gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love. Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
So what does being humble, gentle, patient and bearing with one another in love look like?
Humble for me is not making every thing about me. Gentle is the tone I should be using when speaking, patient is put others agendas before my own, bearing with one another in love, is being more concerned about meeting the needs of others, than meeting my own.
So then, last but not least; what's this unity of the Spirit that through peace I'm to make every effort to keep?
For believers to be united is only possible when the Holy Spirit acts in believers' lives—the Spirit originates and sustains oneness among believers. Love for each other, which the presence of the Spirit causes, makes peace possible. To bind themselves together with peace includes the idea of uniting the members into one body. This "bond" holds people together, like string or twine. Peace functions as the "binding twine" of unity. God gives it to us, producing equality and understanding. [1]

APPLICATION

1] Everything, all the time, is not about me.
2] Talk soft and caring
3] Put others first
4] Look for opportunities to meet the needs of others
5] Make every effort to build up the church

PRAYER

Father,
These efforts are learned, they are not instinctive
For me to be Christ like, these efforts need to move from acts I perform to character - who I am.
HS has some heavy lifting, I will never get there without help.
Make me worthy of the calling

[1] Life Application Bible Commentary