Every Effort

DEVOTION
EPHESIANS
EVERY EFFORT
Eph 4:3
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
NIV
Have I made, am I making every effort in this endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit? This is a question which needs to be considered heavily. What can be worse than to cause division among the body of Christ? What can be as harmful as divisiveness? Gossip and slander of another person is a horrible thing to do. But this has an even more sinister plot at foot when every effort is not made. I think even the idea of complaining about the style of worship, or the way the sanctuary may look, or about the pastors message being a little off all have roots in not making every effort. I hear these kinds of comments and honesty I cannot recall if I take part, although I must have. I suppose not correctly or just listening with a nod of my head would be considered in agreement with the one commenting. Is that keeping the unity? Maybe it is with another believer, but surely not with the whole body. What good is it if I make every effort to keep this unity and others do not? Isn’t this something everyone is supposed to do? Am I excusing my lack of making every effort? To be a peacemaker does not mean to ignore the lack of unity, but to speak to this issue, to correct, to teach, to live it out loud. Even these discussions about denominational differences are a form of lacking unity of the Spirit. God is and never was and will never be a particular denomination. This is nothing more than man excusing himself for not keeping the unity of the Spirit. How can I make a difference? People leave a church because their do not like something, as if they are the most important person, pampering they self instead of making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. As far as it depends on me I must make every effort to live in peace with all men, and keep this unity of the Spirit through this bond of peace. I must keep my wits about me at all times, so to speak. I must not take part in those kinds of conversations which either create or fester a division in any way. I must speak the truth in love. I must make every effort. Just keeping silent does not make it. No, I am making a resolution to be bold and courageous in my faithfulness to this command. I will make every effort.