Ephesians 4:1-2: 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.
In this brief passage Paul urges the church at Ephesus to model a lifestyle that is worthy of the high calling that they have received in Jesus Christ. As the church we have the responsibility to show the world what God is like.
A friend of mine recently said that the greatest hindrance to evangelism is that Christians act one way at church, and then another way at work, at home and at school.
The television program Joe Millionaire has been popular recently. Joe, or Evan, portrayed a false image of himself to the women on the program. He was really a construction worker. But he acted like a millionaire many times over.
God wants each believer to live with consistency and honor at church and in every facet of ones personal life.
Then Paul goes on to talk about humility, gentleness, patience and bearing with one another in love. When these characteristics are rooted into a believer, then that believer can clearly reflect the character of Jesus Christ.
To be humble is to submit your will to the will of another. You humble yourself before God when you come before him and say, "Lord, not my will, but your will be done." You admit to God that he is smarter than you.
Isaiah 66:2b tell us about the person that God esteems. This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.
James 4 quotes the Proverbs in saying that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
It is important to understand that humility is not weakness. Rather humility is recognizing that we are weak compared to God's great power. And that humility opens the door for us to tap into the power of God. Humility opens the door for true success.
Then Paul talks about gentleness. Many of us tend to be abrupt and curt when dealing with others. But God wants us to learn to be gentle with others.
Let's examine one of the benefits of gentleness. Proverbs 15:1, A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
I have a tendency to speak abruptly to my family at times. And often when I speak abruptly or even harshly, I don't even realize that I am doing it. But it is important for all of us to learn to be gentle.
When our children were very small, a mentally disturbed neighbor entered our home late one night. I was asleep. He made an inappropriate suggestion to my wife. She responded gently but firmly, saying "No." At this point he was near the back of our home. When my wife said "No" he turned around and walked out.
That night could have been catastrophic for my family. But God's wisdom in my wife to turn away a threatening situation with gentleness opened the door to God's grace.
Next week we will examine walking in patience and bearing with one another in love as we seek to walk worthy of the Lord.
Wayne L. Williams
wayne@fotwm.org