Corona Devo 1549

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 

(2) Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 

(3) Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 

(4) For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. (5) There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, (6) one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.  ~Ephesians 4:1-6 

~~~

At first glance, it's easy to gloss-over these verses as a "general application" to all do-gooders.  A pie-in-the-sky set of high-hopes for all.  

And they are.  

Ephesians 4:1-6 applies to everyone of us everywhere.  It is Truth for all: every group and every faction.  The Bible applies to us in every circle and in full circle.

But God also gives you and me these verses today specifically for us and as advisement for us in treatment for our inner circle.  Our family circle, our friends' circle, our co-workers circle, our marriage circle: our inner circles.

How are we doing in leading a life worthy of our calling?  In the traffic jam of life...how are we doing?  

Have we noticed that most people are not "trying" for unity?  

Are we?

Most people are very busy honking their own horn, forcefully nudging others out of their way, and even creating their own lane in the berm.  But in the traffic jam of life...how are we doing?  

...lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 

(2) Always be humble and gentle. 

Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

(3) Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 

(4) For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. (5) There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, (6) one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.  ~Ephesians 4:1-6 

These verses are like a wave of peace washing over our sometimes frustrated, sometimes critical, sometimes hurt souls. 

God calls us to His ways, instead of ours today.  Especially in our inner circles.  

We don't want to be humble. 

Our nature is not to be gentle.  

Being patient with others is hard.  

Making allowances for each other's faults is not our first course of action.  

But...Jesus whispers these truths, these relationship-saving, these family-relation-keeping, these life-saving Truths and rules into our hearts today.

~~~

Father, forgive us.  Our carnal tendencies are for ourselves, but our spiritual desires are for You, Lord.  Your ways are so much better than ours: They are life-giving, instead of life-draining.  Your love is like nothing that this world knows, and when we choose to behave like You...we are changed and we change the world.  May You enable us today to act in opposition to the world and its reactions.  Help us to lead a life worthy of your calling today, Lord.  Amen.

~~~

How should we treat those we know and love and meet today?

Be humble. 

Be gentle.  

Be patient.

Make allowances for each other's faults.  

Make every effort to keep (us and others) united in the Spirit.

Bind ourselves together (to others) with peace.  ~Ephesians 4:1-3

~~~

If we have been living and driving-our-lives (and days and conversations) as if we are on a one-way (our way) road...then God has a u-turn for us to make.  Let's get off of our path and onto His.  Let's stop seeing things as they relate to (only) us and start seeing things as they relate to our Lord.  He is for us, but He is also for everyone that seeks Him.

For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. (5) There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, (6) one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.  ~Ephesians 4:4-6 

~~~

Heavenly Father, like Paul, we choose to serve You today. We are willingly bound to You because of the sacrifice You lovingly made for us.  We choose to be a prisoner (in debt to You) for serving You today. 

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord...  ~Ephesians 4:1

~~~

I...beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.  ~Ephesians 4:1

Lord, we beg You to help us lead a life worthy of your calling. Thank you for reminding us that we are called by You today.  Thank You for calling us to You, Lord.  Help us today to always be humble and gentle.  Help us today to be patient with each other.  Help us today to make allowances for each other's faults because of our love.  Lord help us today to make every effort to stay united with You and with others in the spirit.  And doing all of these things is what unites us with You in the spirit.  We are bound to You when we bind ourselves together with peace.  Amen.

It is not us and them. (Whoever "them" is at the moment.)  For there is one body and one spirit,

In the traffic jam of life...how are we doing?  Do we have ears to hear what God is saying to us today in our lane and for our inner circle?

There is only one God and we're here for Him and His glory!  How are we doing?  

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com

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