Welcome back again to another podcast of Struggling Well. And so much of what we do in these podcasts comes out of the places where God has caused us to be curious or caused us to linger with s thoughts from the word of God that we've read. And Suzi, I want to take us to a place that has been on my mind for a while now. And it's in the book of Ephesians. And I'm familiar with Ephesians. I preached through Ephesians many times. And I know I preached on this passage, but it's a passage that has hit me a new and a fresh where Paul says in the fourth chapter, so he's moved from the doctrine And typically Paul's writings, the first half of a book are doctrinal issues and then he goes to practical. How do you live it out? And he goes, "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you've been called." And that's one of those statements in scripture that happens many times where walk in a manner worthy of the calling or whatever it is, but then there's nothing beyond that. It's just it's like here's what you need to do, but I'm not going to tell you how to do it.
And u but in this case, I think Paul gives us some insights as to what it looks like to walk in a manner worthy of the calling we've been given. He says, "With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace."
And it's like, okay, now you're going to make me have to look inwardly in my life and what's going on in my life, my motivation for things with all humility and gentleness. That's that opening part of what should charact what my wife my life should be characterized by humility and gentleness and then with patience bearing with one another in love to be patient with other people because I love them because I want to express the love of Christ that's a pretty tall order for any of us
you've talked a lot about this being humble thing and as you have listened to various things and been reading yourself you keep going back to the word humble so unpack that as far as how it relates to your life.
Well, I just think that so much of life is I think we tend to make it about ourselves. Everything is viewed through the lens of what it means to me, how does it impact me? How does it affect me? And this idea of humility is the idea that he says in Philippians, I want to think more highly of others than I think of myself. I want to give more difference to other people than I do to my own life. What it look like in my life? Humility to me is do I spend more time thinking about others and how life's situations impact them than I do how it impacts me?
Is there a particular area of your life where you where that feels like a rub? I mean, I can think of 20, but I just
I'm wondering why you keep boring in on this one.
Oh, I you know, I don't know.
Boring, babe. That's tough. Boring like me.
Yeah, like Yeah, like a dentist bores into your teeth.
Well, I think it's important to get rid of the decay. That's what I think.
you know, I don't know that it's anything. I just have been struck by this. so I do some work at Charlotte Christian School and the verse that is up on banners in the school is Micah 6:8. that we're to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God. And I walk past one of those banners every day that I go in there. And it's that idea of walking humbly with God. Maybe it's because we live in a world where humility is not prized by anybody.
It's not.
And it just reminds me that in God's eyes, humility is a huge valued commodity.
The thing about humility or being patient or kind or any of those things is I find well I think it's true in keeping with scripture. I can't do it on my own. I mean, I can pretend like I'm humble, like you know that. Oh, no, no, you go first. No, you go first. That's not what this humility is. And it cannot be done without the Holy Spirit because I want him. I want to magnify the Lord. I want to look more like Jesus. I want to exhibit the fruit of the spirit that is within me. I can't do it alone without the spirit.
Yeah. And that's a great point that this what we're talking about in terms of walking in a manner worthy is an impossible task if we try to do it in our own strength.
It can only be done through the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. And so moving past humility, since you've dug in on that one, to that next phrase, patiently bearing with one another in love.
Yeah.
I am not a patient person. And to see that as something that he calls us to do within the body of Christ, but to do it in love, to do it in Christ's love, to do it in the power of the spirit who gives us the ability to walk in those ways that are pleasing to the Lord, that I look more like Jesus because I can be patient with people that it's not natural for me to be patient with. I
I think that allowing the spirit
to teach us further about humility and patience and kindness and goodness and all those things, you know, we talk about radical changes in the world and in people we were referring last week to our granddaughter and some radical changes in her. But think about what that would do in your everyday. How, and I'm using that word radical because as we're walking along in it's all about me or get out of my way or I need my fast food faster than you're giving it to me. Whatever it is, what would it look like? What will, not would, what will it look like as we choose to allow the spirit to be the one giving us our cues? as to how we're supposed to navigate a very fast-paced I'm number one world. I think the result of that will be radical.
Yeah, it will. And so now, thank you for listening to the psychological section of my life by questions.
No, no. I just was thinking about you and on the road and I know how much you like to just keep moving and how hard it is to be patient in that. How hard it is for me to be patient when somebody cuts in the line or when something that I'm wanting to happen quickly doesn't happen and how impatient I get with God when things don't happen in a timely my timely manner.
Yeah. So, as you think about these verses, if it lingers with you at all, and you seek to walk in a manner that's worthy, worthy of Christ, that allows me to look more like Christ.
The ideas of humility, gentleness, and patience can only come when you allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart and in your life and he can produce things that you can't. Have a great week. Thanks for joining us. To learn more about the Struggling Well podcast, visit tandemspirituality. com.