“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3)
Do you know what “endeavoring” means? It means “earnestly striving with all my heart.” So we could say, “Earnestly striving to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” This means that there is something you earnestly try to keep no matter what someone else does to you. Someone may do something very hard and painful to you and you may feel that you are within your rights. You could answer that person according to your rights and blow him away, but instead you close your lips! Because if you spoke back in that manner, you would drive a wedge between you and the other individual. But God said, “Don’t drive a wedge between you and anybody else!” He said in Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” If you drive a wedge between you and the other person, you cause a separation of the Spirit.
There was a brother who used to call me at all hours of the night. Sometimes I would just barely start getting a little sleep and, “Brunnnn!” the phone rang. And there he was, drunk, calling me, and talking all kinds of foolishness. And I had to listen to him! However, something in my spirit would say, “Although you are suffering, bear it! Don’t blow him away. Don’t tell him he must not do it again.” So I kept quiet and didn’t tell him anything. He kept doing so for a number of years. Yet, one day he called me and this time it was the real thing! The Spirit of God hit him and delivered him!
Do you understand it now? “…with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.” Bearing it rather than speaking! You may feel, “But I need to speak the truth!” I want you to know that there is no truth that does not glorify God! Not all things that are true are the truth for Jesus is the truth. We have to learn to keep the unity of the Spirit no matter what the cost.
