In life, what are you looking for? What are you chasing after? How do you live your life? Do you let your life count for eternity? Are you impacting and influencing others for the sake of Christ? What is your life pursuit? These are self-searching questions.
In Ephesians 4:1-3, the Apostle Paul wrote: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The Greek word for “walk” is “parakalo”. In context Paul uses parakaleo to convey an intense feeling, strong desire, not simply a request but a plea or a begging. To me, the word, “walk” conveys the idea of “living out vibrantly and victoriously the Gospel of Christ in a person’s life in Christ. How have I lived out the Gospel of Christ? How have you? The word, “walk” is used figuratively, signifying the whole round of activities of the individual life. You and I have been called to be true disciples of Jesus Christ. Are you pursuing a life of success or are you pursuing a life of significance? Success or significance: You need to make a choice between these.
“In God’s eyes, walking worthy of your calling and living a life of significance are not about what profession you practice. Rather, they are about honoring Him in every aspect of your life no matter what profession happens to be. This is the kind of calling spoken to in Ephesians 4:1. It is a higher calling than the profession we choose to practice. When you sincerely seek to please God in all you do and when you honor Him by how you do your work and live your life, you are walking worthy of your calling and living a life of significance.” (Extracted from “david-goetsch.com”.)
To walk worthily of your calling, we need to consider these characteristics in our Christian life: humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with others in love and maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. All these virtues have to do with how we relate with one another in the Body of Christ. If we fail in these virtues, we have failed to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called. This is crucial. That is why the Apostle Paul urged the Ephesian believers to live out their Christian faith authentically in the most crucial time in their days.
The private life and public life of the Christian must be taken into consideration for a wholistic understanding of walking worthily of one’s calling. God sees the heart rather the appearance. It is the inner transformation of the Christian that reveals the genuinity of one’s faith in Christ. What one’s preaching must be in line with what one’s living. Are you living out according to what you are teaching others? Humility and gentleness must be seen in one’s life which testifies of one’s genuine faith in Christ. “Biblical humility means believing what God says about you over anyone else’s opinion, including your own. It requires embracing who you are in Christ over who you are in the flesh. To be biblically humble is to be so free of concern for your own ego that you unreservedly elevate those around you.” (Extracted from “gentlechristianparenting.com”)
Patience is another wonderful quality which you should yearn after. How would you like to work or serve alongside someone who is impatient? If a person is impatient, he cannot get things done and cannot get along with others. He is easily agitated and annoyed. Patience and love go hand in hand. A patient person is also a loving person. You will feel comfortable with such a person. He is also forbearing, that is, he bears with others in love.
In Ephesians 4:1-3, I have learnt that “Unity in the Body of Christ brings about the bond of peace.” When there is peace, there is unity and vice versa. I have also learnt these: “The love of Christ bears. The peace of Christ binds.” It is the “heart” and the “love” that counts. The one who seeks peace also seeks unity. Let us, therefore, be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. When there is unity in the Body of Christ, the Lord Jesus is pleased and praised!
How then should we walk? Let us walk worthily of our calling, living out authentically the Gospel of Christ in our daily Christian life, pleasing God in the way we relate with one another: putting on humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love and therefore, henceforth, maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. To God alone be the glory! Amen.
