Maintaining Peace

"I urge you to be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." –Ephesians 4:3

We live in a world of chaos. The trampling herd of people chasing pleasures apart from God plays out and takes unpredictable turns in moods and mindsets of the victims in its wake. But we followers of Jesus are gifted by the Holy Spirit a peace. We enjoy the gift God’s peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). Paul urges here in Ephesians 4 that the peace that you and I enjoy with God as a gift is to be maintained in unity as a bond of peace with one another.

But why? Why must we strive to enjoy peace in the local church? What purpose is there of God to urge me to maintain peace with other sinners saved by grace, even and especially when it’s hard? Why be humble, gentle, patient, and bear with others in love (vs 2)? 

Paul says it is in keeping with a life worthy of the salvation I received (vs 1). To use my Holy Spirit giftedness to the gospel mission of the local church, being an actively loving and serving member of the church to equip saints for gospel service and build one another up to maturity in Christ-likeness (12-13). This maturing process, which is found in the increasing knowledge of the Son of God, means that the church has immature followers of Jesus in our midst. 

How well do we know one another? Do you patiently listen to or voice confessions of weaknesses in your faith? How do you give good counsel to trouble in other’s lives? How well do you receive biblical challenges from others to be closer to Christ?

Oftentimes, we gather for worship together all spiritually limping in wounded from our world of chaos. So, maintain our bond of peace, my beloved, by being a safe place, a refuge, a healing place. How? By increasing one another’s knowledge of the Son of God, Paul says. Be humble toward one another. Patient toward one another. Gentle toward one another. And bear with one another in love. Let us be the safe place for one another by being in Christ in the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Sunday morning may be the only peaceful moment a struggling young mother has this week. Or someone wrestling with drama at work. Or a teen pressured by friends at school. Or someone with a private internal wound. Let us be a safe place of God’s peace to one another. We are commanded to love as Christ loves us (John 15:12), and by His Spirit our Lord gifts to us all that He requires. If you lack peace and love, ask in His name.

Heavenly Father, grant us peace to rest in Your sovereign might through our Lord Jesus Christ. May the peace we enjoy with You be enjoyed together in unity. Teach us Your Word, equip us for Your mission, and fill us with Your love that our church may be a safe and healing place of Your peace. Amen.

Humble, Patient Listening

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19).

While I was stopped at a red light this week, another car beside me kept easing past the designated white line. He ducked down to read the light of the crossing traffic to time the light change. As soon as the crossing traffic light turned red, he tapped his accelerator. Unfortunately, the oncoming turn lane became green as our light stubbornly remained red. He had to brake well into the intersection. And he looked foolish doing it.

We are not natural listeners. We are quick to speak and quick to judge. When someone has a problem, we talk to fix it. When things aren’t going the way we want, we speak quickly to let others know it. Our hearts explode through our mouths to make certain our preferences and ideas are met. We jump out in front, and often look foolish doing it. But the new creature in Christ is commanded to use the new heart Jesus gave us. 

It takes a great deal of humility to be quick to listen. Before speaking, we are to value the person and listen to their words. We listen to gain understanding, yielding because we desire a genuine relationship with someone else speaking. We listen so we provide a biblical, thoughtful, and loving response. This means our first desire in conversations is to possess a patient humility. Why? Because love is patient (I Corinthians 13:4). Our natural reaction is not humble patience. 

We are not commanded to NOT respond, just to be patient in our response. Proverbs 12:18 says, “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Our temper is to be crushed by a humble, patient love. We have a thoughtful, biblical response to be delivered out of true loving care for others. We possess a tongue to proclaim Jesus in His Word, and His Word pierces (Hebrews 4:12), and His Word heals (Psalm 107:20). In other words, the Bible does the work. Not our sinful hearts which complain when our preferences aren’t met, or rebukes sharply when we don’t get what we want, or refuses to listen because of selfish indifference. We are called to have loving hearts patiently humble to listen, giving a clear, biblical response of God’s grace.

Lord, be gracious to us and give us humble, patient hearts to listen and use our mouths to proclaim the truth of Your glory. Amen.