“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” EPHESIANS 4:1-3
Apostle Paul said this while he was a prisoner of Nero in Rome. In this Scripture, Paul describes desmios, or prisoner, as someone who is held captive or bound to someone. In other words, he did not consider himself as Nero’s prisoner but a prisoner of God. He then encourages us to live a life worthy of the calling we received. What does this mean?
To live a life worthy of our calling is to understand who we were and who we are now with Jesus. This means that we are not just walking here on Earth, but we are now walking with God. We must carry ourselves like we have a crown that says “child of God, ambassador of Christ.” Our motivation to walk like this is not to earn favor from God; instead, out of our love and gratitude for Him, Who loves us enough to make us worthy of this calling.
If we call ourselves “Christians,” do people really see Jesus in our lives? Or is it just a mere title that we brand ourselves? Because to walk with God is to represent Jesus every day. This encompasses humility, gentleness, patience, tenderness, and peacefulness. We are imperfect, and we will always fall short of the glory of God. Hence, we are to extend grace towards each other’s shortcomings.
Paul goes on to encourage us to make every effort to be united. This unity is the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. Therefore, it is not our responsibility to make it but to acknowledge and nurture it. Yes, God will lead us to do it, but we must first and foremost be willing to be led by the Holy Spirit. We are part of one body, which is the body of Christ; this means that we cannot let our differences be the reason for our conflicts and division.
As you continue to live your life here on Earth, understand that no one is going to be as good and loving as God. So no one will be perfect; each one has faults and weaknesses. Some are going to disappoint you and break you. But that shouldn’t stop you from accepting and loving them. This command applies especially to the people you’ve known in church, your fellow believers, and your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Just like you, God is still at work in everyone’s life, so always choose to be a source of grace. Focus on Who and what unites us, Jesus and the grace we’ve been given.
