Ephesians 4:2-6 (NIV) – “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.”

“[Paul is] urging them to mount guard over that unity as one would set a troop of soldiers to guard a city or treasury. There are all sorts of things which can attack and spoil that unity, and these must be resisted, whatever they are and wherever they occur… Unless we are working to maintain, defend, and develop the unity we already enjoy, and to overcome, demolish and put behind us the disunity we still find ourselves in, we can scarcely claim to be following Paul’s teaching.” [Wright, Nicholas T. Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters. 2004, London and Louisville, KY]

We can follow the teaching of Paul in God’s word because Jesus Himself was completely humble and gentle, and He came to us in the greatest of love. We can live this way because the Spirit Himself has given us unity with one another.

Let’s pray for our relationships and unity with other Christians, His church. As you pray, and then as you live, be open to the Spirit as He helps you to see how, where, and when He is asking you to make every effort, to defend, and to develop this unity of the Spirit that we already enjoy.