SCRIPTURE
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NRSV)
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
DEVOTION
A friend of mine recently shared with me his struggles to maintain unity and peace in a difficult situation.
I was impressed by his resolve to be faithful to his Christian beliefs, whilst at the same time giving honor where honor is due by being humble, gentle, patient and loving.
It occurs to me that sometimes we will find ourselves in circumstances that are less than ideal and other times we will have to interact with people who pluck our last nerves. But, it is at times like these that we must lean into Spirit trusting in God's ability to help us maintain the character of Christ.
It is especially important to remember these lessons when the person driving us nuts is a brother or sister in Christ, for scripture teaches us that we must maintain our unity, remembering that there is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all.
We are all children of the same God and it is never a good witness for non-Christians to see Christians fighting like we do not know Jesus!
Sometimes, we will have to agree to disagree. Other times we may need to part ways. But, at all times, we must allow Spirit to cause us to walk in love, joy, and peace so that the world will know that we are Christians by our love!
Let us pray:
Great and Wonderful God, please help me to walk worthy of my calling in Christ! Please help me to show forth your Spirit of Love, even when I disagree with someone. Please help me to be a good and faithful witness to those who do not know you. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta
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