In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he beseeches (pleads or implores) them to “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (4:1). What is the calling with which we were called? We bear the name of Christ. We have been made alive in Him (2:1), raised up (vs. 6), and saved through faith (vs. 8). We are Christians, so we are to live in a manner consistent with the name of Christ.

So what does it look like to walk worthy of our calling?Paul lists a few things here to get us started.

1. With all lowliness and gentleness. This little word all seems to imply that we do not occasionally show a little humility of heart, but rather our lives are characterized by it.

2. With longsuffering. This means we are acquainted with difficulty, and we know how to suffer pain or hardship with humility and grace. Notice this is long suffering, implying that walking worthy involves suffering for a long time. The Christian life is not a spring, but a long-distance walk, steady as she goes.

3. Bearing with one another in love. Walking worthy includes putting up with a lot of provocation without fussing and whining. When provoked, we respond in love with forgiveness. That’s how Jesus does it.

4. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. When we walk worthy of the calling, we try especially hard to preserve what God has given us, which is unity of the Spirit. We have so much in common with our fellow believers. Why would we sacrifice this peaceful bond of unity? We are called to protect it.

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