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.
- Ephesians 4:1-3
 
In today’s passage, Paul rattles off a non-comprehensive yet challenging list of ways to live a life worthy of the calling we’ve received. Let’s take a look.
 
Be completely humble and gentle
Humility is, at its core, honesty. When we’re humble we’re honest about who we really are: not overselling ourselves, but also not selling ourselves short. The same goes with gentleness. When we’re gentle we’re honest about our power to harm others and trample on their vulnerabilities.
 
The calling we’ve received shapes the way we see ourselves, which overflows into our relationships with each other.
 
Be patient, bearing with one another in love
Our connection with our calling also prompts us to pursue patience. Isn’t this counterintuitive? So often, people with a passion for God have no patience for their peers. But God’s calling on our lives comes with an invitation to love. And love nudges us toward an uncommon patience with those who need it most.
 
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace
Paul’s list closes with an admonition toward unity (which we’ll look at more later in the week). But today we want to note that Paul urges us to make every effort to keep this unity. It’s okay if it takes effort for us to keep our unity. And it’s okay if we look at the challenge of keeping unity and say: “It’ll take a miracle.” The pursuit is worth it.
 
Pick one of these ways of living out your calling. Which one can you focus on today? Ask the Lord to show you one way you can lean into your calling today?