God has had me in Ephesians alot lately, which is interesting because my small group just finished Ephesians and our mission team verse from last year was Ephesians 4:5-6.
For the past two weeks God keeps drawing my attention to Ephesians 4, particularly the first 3 verses.
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. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
These verses have stopped me dead in my tracks because I take my calling very seriously. I attempt to carry out my calling with excellence. I am a hard worker, devoted, and determined. (Hello Type A!)
Yet, I STRUGGLE with the commands of these verses.
I am not humble nor gentle when I am on deadline, or when someone fails to meet my expectations. My calling requires me to depend heavily on others to carry out my call with excellence yet, when others fail me, or disappoint me, or toss a wrench in my process, I rarely react with “patience, making allowance for their fault because of my love,” and my flesh screams at the thought of being “humble” or “gentle” with people who interfere. My typical reaction is to freak out and get frustrated or take it out on people close to me. Or just shut down and puff up with pride.
Its very difficult for me to say these things, but in the spirit of transparency, I ask if anyone else struggles with these commands? How do you marry the teaching of the WORD with how you interact in the marketplace, particularly as biblical teaching relates to interpersonal communications?
Do you look for the teachable moments, with a gentle tone and humble approach, or do you panic at the inconvenience of life’s interruptions that may, at the end of the day, actually be for your own good?
How would your work life, school life, or home life look different if you you sincerely made EVERY EFFORT to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace?
What does a “life worthy of your calling” look like to you?
AnnieLaurie Walters 
that phrase has always seemed so weighty to me. i’m not sure i totally understand what it means, except for constantly striving for more christ-likeness and less me-likeness.
easier said than done.
i know what you mean!
This is a daily battle for me too! It would be so easy to follow God’s commandments if we were the only one. I have a book at home called “I was a really good mom before I had kids.” It’s like…I am a really good Christian until someone or something gets in my way. We know the ‘right’ responses and the ‘right’ to dos, but we must realize that we are facing a spiritual battle everyday! We must live by the spirit and not by the flesh and the only way to achieve that (which we never will completely until Christ returns) is to be in God’s word, pray, and practice and to keep on practicing! And by the way……we have GRACE and MERCY on our side because we will fail again and again and again. I think just by acknowledging that you struggle God is smiling down on you saying well done good and faithful servant! You rock ALW!