Deal With It... Don't Just Let It Go! - Eph. 4:1-6

"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. 4 There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
Eph. 4:1-6

Has anyone rubbed you the wrong way? Let me be more specific... Do you have a wall up in your relationship with another believer? When you look at them, there is a thought that forms in the back of your mind that just isn't right. You hope to avoid this person at all costs, because it just seems to ruin your day. I would venture to guess that we all have those relationships from time to time. To be completely honest, the Lord is convicting me of one such relationship, so this blog is for me... perhaps you might get something out of it as well.

Why is a strained relationship with another believer out of place in my life? Because it doesn't match my calling. Paul tells the believers in Ephesus to be completely humble! Oh yes, it takes humility! To admit I am part of the problem and deal with it is in direct opposition to the pride that shows its ugly head so often. Paul continues to tell me to be gentle! Even when everything in me moves me toward harness (my looks, my attitude, my reactions, etc.), I am to be gentle. And again Paul tells me to be patient. No matter how they respond to me, I need to be patient. I am to bear with this person in love! This is my calling, but man is it hard! I often tell myself to let it go... but I just can't seem to. I believe it's because God wants me to deal with it. You see, God has called me to unity because of His Spirit! It is by that Spirit that unity is kept and preserved. We share the unity of the Spirit... the same Spirit who keeps us and made us new in Christ. We were called to one hope, one Lord, one faith... unity is the result of a right understanding of our calling. So what right do I have to have a strained relationship with them? NONE! It is out of place, and ignoring it doesn't deal with the real issue... unity among believers!

So now there is only one course of action... deal with it! Not ignore it and try to cast it from my mind, because the Spirit of God will bring it up again until I deal with the real issue... unity. I need to go to this person in humility (recognizing I am part of the problem), be gentle and patient, bearing with them in love. I need to recognize that they are not perfect and neither am I! I often talk myself out of this by anticipating their reaction, but I cannot predict nor control their reaction... it serves only as an excuse. So NO MORE EXCUSES... deal with it!

Lord, give me courage to do what is right! Help me to bear with them in love and make every effort to keep the bond of peace! Forgive me for not pursuing unity and trying to ignore the obvious relational wall that has been built.

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