“Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3 CSB)
Devotional
I’ll be honest, unity sounds lovely until it has a name and a face. Until it’s the person in the group who always talks too long, or the friend who took that comment the wrong way and hasn’t said a word since, or the family member who sees everything differently from us.
Notice the words Paul reaches for: humility, gentleness, patience, “bearing with one another in love.” That last phrase is wonderfully realistic. Nobody needs to bear with people who never annoy them. Paul assumes we’ll get on each other’s nerves, and he writes this as a prisoner, of all things.
He also says something that takes a little pressure off: “the unity of the Spirit.” We aren’t manufacturing it. God has already made us one family through his Spirit, and our part is to “keep” what he has given. That does take work, which is why Paul says “making every effort.” Sometimes the effort looks like letting a small thing go. Sometimes it looks like sending the awkward text first.
All of this starts with God’s patience with us. He has borne with us on far worse days than the ones we’re having with each other. We learn this love by receiving it.
Reflection
I know exactly who came to mind when I read this. I’d like to say I’ve been gentle about it, but I’ve mostly kept my distance and called it peace. God has been far more patient with me than that.
Prayer
Father, you’ve been so patient with us. Give us that same gentleness for the people who are hard for us to love right now. Show us the small step toward peace that we’ve been avoiding. Keep us together as your family.