Ephesians 4:1 (NLT) Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
Reading today's verse in the NLT caught my attention. Most translations use the word "urge" instead of beg. It may not seam significant, but the word beg, to me, brings more of a sense of pleading to it, a seriousness about it. Paul is reminding his readers and us, that if we are a child of God it is because we have been called, and if we've been called it is to a higher purpose than chasing the vanities of this world.
The "therefore" at the beginning of the verse points to the previous chapters which speak of the power of Christ in us. It is one of those "if/then" scenarios. If this is the case in your life then your life should reflect it. It is a personal calling. We need not worry about someone elses walk, it goes back to Jesus' question, "who do you say I am"? How you answer that question will determine your walk.
Pastor Greg Laurie in his devotional for today writes, "It is not for us to look at another person's success and say, "Why not me?" Nor is it for us to look at our own suffering and say, "Why me?" Instead, it is for us to simply say, "Lord, how can I best glorify You with my life?" The challenge is no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, the purpose in how we walk in or through them is to glorify God.
How may we do so today? In verse 2 Paul gives us a good starting point "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love."
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT) Unity in the Body
4 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
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