5/2
Day 20
Ephesians 4:2-3
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.
In these verses we are reminded (IF we are a follower of Christ with His Spirit living inside of us), to KEEP the unity if the Spirit. We do not CREATE unity on our own, because the Spirit is the Unifier! We are told to “…make every effort to KEEP the unity of the Spirit…”
“Make every effort” reminds us that it’s not always going to be a piece of cake!!
Effort defined is…”a vigorous or determined attempt…strenuous physical or mental exertion.”
Synonyms of effort are “exertion, energy, work, endeavor, application, labor, power, muscle, toil, strain”
Yikes.
IT IS WORK, and the ONLY way to preserve/keep the unity…in marriage, churches, friendships…is to cling to the Word of God and constantly die to self and empty ourselves of…ourselves, then pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us up until we are overflowing with His Presence!! We cannot have unity without Him. He is the glue. “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17.