Ephesians 4:1-32
4:1 The immensity of this imploration is almost stunning. God has entrusted is with so freedom and purpose. We must represent Him well while we are here, ensuring that our actions and expressions are kind and just. Under His patient and perfect love, it should make us wriggle in our seats a little bit when we consider how much we want to be worthy of all the love we have never had (or have) to earn.
And for some people, perhaps God's love has not yet been realized in your life. The most assured fact I know is that when we wholeheartedly seek God's love, we find it. If you are developing your faith, you will soon be overcome with its luminosity. It's not just written in scripture, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9... it is a personally experienced and constantly reinforced truth.
4:2 Paul outlines the way we can accurately represent our faith: thinking, saying and behaving with humility, tenderness, perseverance and love, appreciating the life inside of the people and planet around us.
4:3 Paul's advice continued: to promote and ensure the cohesion of humanity. With peaceful and just actions, we are meant to unite in all situations rather than divide, if we have the opportunity.
4:4-6 For clarity and reassuring, Paul unites us all as the children of One, focused entity. We do not belong to different gods from various places with diverging views, plans and creations (although miscommunication and intolerance in the globe today might suggest otherwise). We have the same origin and destination.
4:7-8 Psalm 68:18, as well as the book of Corinthians speaks to us of the gifts God gives to us individually. Remember: we are given to in order that we may give. God analyzes our lives and the character of our souls and determines in us a way for our passion to impact the world. Our gifts are tailored to each of us, individually. He knows our potential and then measures his gifts to match, prod and inspire it.
4:9-10 As miraculous as it is that Jesus ascended, Paul prompts us to discover and celebrate the equally miraculous descent Jesus made. Having come to earth, the manifestation of compassion, wisdom, justice, truth and love, He devoted His whole being to humanity... knowing that His arduous work would not (by many) be appreciated or remembered. He because even if only one person benefited from His tribulation here on earth, His confrontation against evil, He believed His life worth the sacrifice.
4:11 While here, Jesus delegated. No matter who you are, as a child of God, you are welcomed to shoulder the responsibility of upholding justice. To be representatives of the faith.
4:12 Love and justice are so much more valuable knowing that we contributed to them. We have the ability to give life to laughter, joy, justice in places where there existed sorrow and injustice. We each contribute to the edification, the strengthening and improvement of humanity and compassion.
4:13 We work toward edification of ourselves and our faith in order that we construct the steps which elevate us to our spiritual home. In order that we recognize the door to knock on.
4:14 We work in faith for the purpose of establishing security within us. In a turbulent world, among humanity's competing greed and selfish agendas, we do not easily find our footing. When our foundation is our faith, we no longer rely on an unreliable, shifting platform.
4:15 Instead of that fluctuation, through the expression of our truth and love, we grow in God's steady love. We do not degrade ourselves with deceptive actions or selfish desires because we know that the wealth of true love and life do not require manipulative, self-seeking acts.
4:16 This a metaphor of our kinship. Each part is an essential part. We are parts of a strong and many-membered body and when we work cohesively, we thrive. Recall 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 for affirmation and a more detailed reiteration of this point, our kinship.
4:17-19 Rise to meet your potential. Let your thoughts, words and actions represent the best and most pure of your values and faith. Reinforce your beliefs with your temperament and interaction. Much of the world "walks" or lives, dejected and unfocused. The spark of their curiosity gone out, the potential openness of their heart closed. Do not let the apathetic, lethargic frustrations of others impact you or your life. Spiritually awakened, you cannot make exchanges between yourself to those who are still asleep. Yes, we must interact with and respect all people, but we do not let them influence, deter or negatively impact our lives.
4:20-22 It is essential that we are consistent with our thoughts, words and actions. Paul explains a very neglected yet common-sense logic: we cannot claim to be or believe something and simultaneously negate it with our behavior. If you've heard the message, you carry the responsibility of knowing it, of knowing better, 2 Peter 2:21.
4:23-24 Even more than awakening, personal alignment with faith newly creates us. Our restoration and edification is so complete that we become more and different than we were before. Inside-out, top-bottom, body-soul, God reforms us in strength and compassion.
4:25 Be truthful with all people, yourself included in order to accomplish and ensure sincerity and simplicity in your life.
4:26 Out of respect for our kinship, realize each person's worthiness of our truth. Do not taint and entangle your life with deceit.
4:27 We are not always going to be even-tempered but Paul encourages us to take control over our anger and to work to dissolve it before it festers and deepens. Take control over your anger so that it does not tempt you to commit cruelty because of it. Fighting injustice with injustice is both fruitless and regressive.
4:28 Paul advises us to be wise in our forgiveness. To never be haughty, but to create fair and constructive circumstances for those who have wronged us to redeem themselves. To better themselves. They may not always or often appreciate or even accept the chance, but we still grow from our wisdom and justice.
Moreover, hard work edifies our character. Work done in faith, work done with our hands, work done with our brains. Allow the opportunities for growth. Mere punishment is rarely an effective way to reverse flawed behavior. Keep this in mind for yourself and for others. Oftentimes, people who make mistakes, even grave mistakes, need or once needed opportunity to learn, the freedom or space to learn, the teacher or encouragement necessary to learn and did not have it. It is not an excuse or attempt to absolve the behavior but it is still a reality. In my experience, close-minded people often had their brains bound by limitations during essential character-growth periods. Again, not an excuse, but a truth we must acknowledge in order to bring change to the world.
4:29 Let your every word intention toward goodness. You create the energy you put out into the world. You impact the atmosphere around you. You influence the behavior and thoughts of others so be aware and careful of what comes from you.
4:30-31 Divest yourself of negativity. It impacts your health, your circumstances, your journey, your destination, your environment...it taints and suffocates every aspect of your life. It's unnecessary. It accomplishes nothing! So grow your patience and be guided out of tribulation with strength and order.
4:32 Be kind and forgiving. All people deserve your kindness, and for the ones who are a bit questionable (we've all met a few of those) be kind anyway because you represent yourself and you don't like their unkindness so why emulate it? Do not let someone provoke you or tear down your calm and kind nature.Teach them the kind way through your behavior and stoicism and even if it doesn't immediately register in them, you put that energy out into the world. If they are rankled to the point of negatively impacting another person's day, they probably desperately need your kindness.
Assuredly your kindness is seen and appreciated by our God, but don't do it for that reason. Do it because it's right and because it is ultimately the best thing for YOU, that person and the world.
