Ephesians 4:3

Scripture: 

Ephesians 4:3  “… being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (NASB)

Observation:

All that was left was putting on the clamps. While doing a woodworking project, I needed to put some boards together. I had sanded them, planed them, ran them through the joiner and all that was left after I applied the glue, was to clamp them together to form one unit. Without the clamps to hold them together while the glue dried, the boards would have simply fallen apart.

Today's verse speaks of being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. I had to be diligent in putting the clamps where they would do the most good, holding firm to each board, to apply the correct pressure. In life, there will be things that can separate us. Yes, even things within the church. However, if we are diligent in our unity of the Spirit, things will hold together. It will take pressure and time to allow the glue of Christ to keep us together. There was no struggling in holding the boards together once the clamps were applied, and there will be peace within our differences if we hold firm to the unity of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit allows us to be clamped together for the good of His Kingdom, not ours. We need to be sure to apply the clamps of unity of the Spirit as we go about holding each other together.  

Application:

1) Think about what you just read.

2) Ask the Holy Spirit for clarity and insight.

3) Share this with someone who would benefit from reading it.

4) Make sure others see Jesus in YOU today.

TOM SEMBER has been involved in ministering to men for over 20 years. He is an ordained minister with the AG in the NY Ministry Network. Tom lives with his wife, Carolyn, and children in New York. You can connect with Tom on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.