“ Maintain the Oneness of the Spirit”
THE apostle Paul tell the Christian dem in Ephesus to continue “putting up with one another in love, earnestly endeavoring to maintain the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace.”—Eph. 4:2, 3.
“The oneness,” or the unity da we enjoying da because “of the spirit.” This one mean we united because of God holy spirit or his active force. But Paul say for this unity to continue, it need hard work. Who suppose to do this hard work? Da all of us suppose to work hard so da this unity can continue.
For example, suppose somebody give you new clothes, da who responsible to take care of it? En da you? When the clothes spoil because you not take care of it, you will not blame the person who give it to you.
Da the same way our unity da gift from Jehovah. But all of us mon try our best to protect it. So if we get problem with our brother or sister, we mon ask ourself this question, ‘I trying my best so da unity can continue to be in the congregation?’
TRY YOUR BEST TO PROTECT THE UNITY
In line with what Paul say, sometime it can’t be easy for us to protect the peace we get with our brother and sister dem. And this one can be hard especially if they do something to us da hurt us. But you think the only way to settle the problem da to talk with the person and tell them how you feeling? No. So ask yourself, ‘When I talk with the person, it will settle the problem or it will make it worse?’ Sometime it can just be good to forgive the person or forget about what happen.—Prov. 19:11; Mark 11:25.
Ask yourself, ‘When I go to the person and tell them how I feeling, it will settle the problem or it will make it worse?’
The apostle Paul also say we mon continue “putting up with one another in love.” (Eph. 4:2) One book say this one can also mean to “accept them the way they looking.” To do this one, we need to know da our brother and sister dem not perfect and they can make mistake just like us. Da true, we trying our best to put on “the new personality.” (Eph. 4:23, 24) But we know we not perfect. (Rom. 3:23) If we remember this one, it will be easy for us to be patient and forgive each other and continue to protect the unity in the congregation.
We will get “the uniting bond of peace” in the congregation, if we forgive and forget about what the person do da hurt us. The same Greek word Paul use for “uniting bond” in Ephesians 4:3, da the same word he use for “ligaments” in Colossians 2:19. Ligaments da tick muscle da can connect one bone to another bone. Da the same way, when we love our brother and sister dem and we get peace with them, it will help us to continue to get strong friendship with them even if they do something to us da hurt us.
So if your brother or sister make you vex or do something to you da hurt you, try to understand the person instead of only seeing the bad thing they do to you. (Col. 3:12) All of us not perfect and we na do something to other people da hurt them. If we remember da one, all of us will help to continue to protect the unity in the congregation.