Identity!

Identity!

Ephesians 4:2 AMPC

[2] Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.

Paul started the chapter from where the verse above is taken by introducing two relevant parties: the writer and the audience. He introduced himself as the prisoner of the Lord and also made reference to the people he was writing to as those who were called into a particular vocation by the Lord Himself. You find different people from different walks of life bound by the same connection to a God who calls men to Himself, and also equips them for whatever assignment He has for them. Reflect on how Paul introduced himself: a prisoner of the Lord. Whatever physical limits were placed on Paul, these would not stop him from being who God wanted him to be. Men may place demands on me, but I must never forget whose I am, and who defines my pursuits and priorities. Do you know who you are, whose you are, and where you are headed?

Those who know who they are live by the standards of the One they claim to know and follow. Their lives will reflect the personality, peculiarites and preferences of the One that they seek to look like. This is the charge in the verse above. The standard is to live in complete lowliness of mind, which is another way of emphasizing humility, as well as being meek, unselfish, gentle and patient. As we know, the fruit of the Spirit has patience and kindness as some of its dimensions. What this tells me is that I cannot have any of these attributes outside of the One who births, sustains and guarantees them. If I ask God to teach me patience and humility, how would I learn the right way, if I do not engage with situations that are likely to encourage pride, strife and conventions? It does not appear that i can learn all that God intends, without some inconvenience.

It is God's way of bringing out His best in me that counts. He can use anyone and anything to bring about His plan for me. It is the same lives He has asked me to impact that He will use to teach me the lessons I need for life and Godliness. The Lord wants me to bear with other people, and make allowances for other people, out of love for others. It is not about seeking what works for only me, but what brings glory and praise to God. It is not about insisting on my right, but ready to let go of what may seem right, so that all of God may be revealed in and through me. Like Paul, the secret is in being assured in whose I am, and also sure that all I do is guided by the One who calls and equips. There is a right way to look like the One I follow, because, like Paul, I am His prisoner. I live and serve at His direct command, and as my commandant, He will define the reward. May we not lose that which God has promised to all who serve Him to the end. God's time of favour is here.