Vital Signs: Thursday, September 26, 2024

“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. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.” - ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

MAKING ALLOWANCES

Everybody has a fault or two (or 2,000), and we are all very different. Different isn’t bad, but it can cause difficulties. So, what can we do about it? The right and loving response is to humbly and gently make allowances for one another’s differences and deficits. We patiently learn to accommodate each other’s differences, and we adapt to serve each other in unity. That does not mean we accept anything evil or abusive, but aside from those extremes, we do what we can to bring unity to the relationship. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary. It’s not just necessary—it’s what God would have us do.

Let’s go win the day!