Life Overflowing by T.D. Jakes

Author:T.D. Jakes [T. D. Jakes]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781441213433
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

EPHESIANS 4:1–3

Immediately after admonishing the believer to dignify the divine vocation with an appropriate lifestyle, Paul continues without pause to set the attitude in which we are to walk and the manner by which we walk. We don’t walk alone. Not only do we have the Holy Spirit in us, but we have both the privilege and the responsibility of walking with others. There is no place in the Scriptures where we are called to live in isolation as individuals or to think we are the only group of people worthy of Christ. We are to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Paul is consumed with the importance of relationships, which comprise unity, and that is why he goes right into this issue after begging us to walk worthy of our calling. The truth is, fulfilling our calling is inseparably tied to our allegiance to one another. In chapter 4, he calls the Ephesians to be longsuffering toward one another, forbearing one another in love. This is the attitude we are to have as we walk. And for what purpose? “To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” He is continually trying to bring about a oneness in the Church by encouraging believers to care for one another, be patient with one another, yield to one another, and bear the burdens of one another.

Let’s consider this word “longsuffering.” In the Greek text it is the word makrothumia. This is one of two words used primarily for patience and longsuffering. The other one is hupomene. Hupomene means “under alone” and suggests that we must be willing to stand under the pressure of the situation by ourselves. But makrothumia expresses the attitude of an endurance test. The word means “far away passion,” suggesting that the person having makrothumia remains calm while going through a test, storm, or struggle because their passion is directed toward something beyond, something which transcends and outweighs any present discomfort.

We must have a passion for unity in the Church, because unity in the Church has a cost attached to it. It doesn’t happen automatically or without effort. So often we think that if we just come together and love God, we are going to get along. But getting along takes effort. It takes a willingness to be long-suffering with one another, to diffuse our selfish ambitions and considerations and cast them over on God so that unity and peace can be sustained.

A passion for unity requires a conscious decision to stick together and not leave a group when things get difficult or if we encounter somebody we don’t like. This is true also for a family or a marriage. If people are to live together in peace, they

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