Morning by Morning, September 17 - Unity of the Spirit, Bond of Peace
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Help me start this day and every day embraced by my Father, centered in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. ...
"I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:1-3).
There's a bond of peace when we are united in the Spirit. But this bond of peace is not the false peace of passivity, complacency, or compromise. And this unity of the Spirit is not the false unity of superficial conformity or forced uniformity. It's a peace and a unity that's alive and active, blending together wildly unique and vibrant hearts and souls of infinite variety in the unrestrained creativity of our God, yet with a common heart to live our lives worthy of the calling to which we have been called.
So we desperately need humility and gentleness and patience. We have to continually choose to willingly bear with one another in love. We have to intentionally, deliberately make every effort to persistently maintain this unity in the bond of peace. And none of us are remotely capable of doing any of that apart from the power of the grace of God. Thank You that we never have to.
It's by grace we are saved (Ephesians 2:5). And it's only by the power of that same grace that we live into our calling and fulfill our destiny, together with one another in the unity of the Spirit and peace of Christ to the glory of God.
Lord, give me Your grace to do my part to live this day worthy of Your calling. And if You would, Lord, please give that same grace to everyone around me to be joined with me in this unity of the Spirit and bond of peace. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you live into the spirit of unity and bond of peace in beautiful, powerful alignment with the body of Christ around today, all by the power of the grace of God. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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