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Read: Ephesians 4:2-3
Listen: Ephesians 4

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. Ephesians 4:2-3

Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, establishing that they are already one in Christ. They have one Father, one Lord, and have been made into one people in Christ. Because of this unity, these believers can live at peace with one another. Paul makes clear, however, that living in unity with other believers takes work and intentional effort—it does not happen by accident. Unity requires growing into the sort of people who are humble, gentle and bear with one another in love.

The same is true for us today. If we are to live at peace with other believers, then we must cultivate, guard and protect these relationships. Much like how cars need ongoing maintenance, our relationships need to be regularly maintained if they are to remain vibrant and healthy. Such efforts at guarding may require that we confess wrongdoing and forgive those who hurt us. Efforts to maintain unity may also involve engaging in difficult conversations or even listening to someone who holds a different perspective than we do. In short, keeping the unity of the Spirit means valuing relationships in the church and making an intentional effort to move toward fellow believers.

TODAY: What is a practical step you can take toward guarding unity in the church? It could be asking questions to get more information, apologizing, forgiving or getting to know someone new. Identify one step you could take, and then ask God for the grace and help to take it.