Ephesians 4:1-6
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 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. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
When Austin and I got married, this passage was read at our wedding. I’m not sure that most newlyweds fully grasp what it means to be humble, gentle, patient, and bearing each other’s burdens in love. We definitely didn’t understand how difficult it would be to bear one another’s burdens, especially when life is more challenging than you’d ever expect.
Even now, I know we haven’t mastered the art of all that this passage requires of us. But this passage isn’t just for newlyweds and married couples. This passage is for all of us. And it rings especially true for the church. Paul is writing to us in this passage as a prisoner. We know that he was imprisoned multiple times, and that he wrote multiple letters from prison. The letter to the church at Ephesus is one of these prison letters. Even while he is a prisoner, suffering from oppression, mistreatment, and injustice, Paul is reminding those who look up to him to be humble, gentle, patient—and most importantly, to bear each other’s burdens in love.
Can you imagine how difficult it would be to encourage and remind others to bear one another’s burdens when you yourself are imprisoned? Can you imagine how difficult it would be to encourage others and yourself to be gentle, when you’ve been wrongly imprisoned? Paul faced challenges that many of us have never even considered for our lives. And yet, he still advises us to be patient, humble, gentle, and to bear one another’s burdens.
As the church, I believe that we can do this, just as Paul did this for his churches and fellow followers of Jesus. How can you bear your neighbor’s burden in love? Maybe you can take food to your neighbor who is going through cancer treatment. Maybe you can pray for your friend who is going through a divorce. Maybe you can foster community with the person in the pew next to you on Sunday by calling them later in the week. These are just a few examples of ways that we can bear each other’s burdens in love. I’m sure you can think of many other ways to bear the burdens of your friends, neighbors, and church family. Take time this week to pray for our church and community, and ask yourself how you can be humble, gentle, and patient to all you meet.
Written by Shelby Ruch-Teegarden
