Live to be Worthy

“¹I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ²with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, ³eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” – Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV)

I read this morning and the verses may be a bit confusing in that we are not worthy. I tried to clear things up in the title of my thoughts here, but I also feel compelled to expand a bit more.

I am not worthy, however I should live to be worthy. In the second half of verse one above, Paul writes, “walk in a manner worthy”. He is not saying to be worthy, but more striving and showing others that you are working to be worthy. We can never do enough to earn grace and salvation, works do not do it. No matter what I do, I will never meet the standard or the example demonstrated by Jesus. But, that should not discourage me from continuing to do the work. I am to bring glory to God in all that I do and that is what I am asked for. I am asked by God to be worthy, only to bring glory to Him by bringing Him to the world.

I am to follow the approach outlined in verses two and three above in my work to be worthy. I am to be humble, gentle, patient, loving, and working for peace in the name of God. I am to strive to be worthy. I am to allow others to see me as working to be worthy. I am to be steadfast in my work for God so much that I am looked at as an example of His love and approach.

I have often heard and believe in the phrase, “fake it till you make it”. I also believe that in the course of faking it for others to feel the genuineness in my actions I become genuine in my actions. It is the genuineness that I have to remember in my striving to be worthy. I again say that I am not and will not every be worthy, but I should be acting in a way that others can see my genuine approach to being worthy each and every day.

What approach are you taking in your life? Do you believe that you have arrived and somehow are worthy of praise and adoration? What if you were to simply work to be worthy through your genuine actions to be humble, gentle, patient, loving, and working for peace in the name of God?