By Pastor Bob Mason
Ephesians 4: 1-6
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 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. There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to one hope when you were called- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Living together in harmony and unity is the goal! There were only a few times in the Bible where harmony and unity were displayed. When it happened, God through His power did awesome things. In Acts 2, the believers, all 3,000 plus, lived together in harmony and God added to their numbers daily. They gave up their selfishness and lived, not just for themselves, but for each other. So our goal has to be less self and more God.
While we desire harmony, it seems to elude us and usually the problem begins within us. We are at war not only with others but within ourselves. As Paul said:
“For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God- through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:22-24)
There is only one way to have harmony in our homes and in our churches. We have to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and that He has priority in every area of our life. Harmony will only come when He is in absolute control and we are totally obedient to Him.
Lord, help us to live a life of humility In obedience to Christ as we seek to live In harmony with You. Lord, send your healing power In our lives and In our homes. For the sake of Christ, help us lay aside every sin and our selfishness to glorify God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
