Wednesday morning we were reading through Ephesians 4 when we seemed to get stuck. Not so much because the concept was so difficult, but that it was so personal. In fact, rather than saying we were stuck, it is more like we were struck! “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”(Ephesians 4.29 NIV) And we could not stop there but continued on to the verse that is stuck to it: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4.30 NIV) We will talk about the Law/Gospel connection of these verses later because my first thoughts as I heard the words “what is helpful for building others up according to their needs”went to Steven Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”
Just in case you do not remember them, here is a quick review:
Habit 1 – Be Proactive: Being Proactive is more than taking initiative. It is recognizing that we are responsive for our own choices and have the freedom to choose based on principles and values rather than on moods or conditions.
Habit 2 – Begin with the End in Mind: Individuals, families, teams, and organizations shape their own future by first creating a mental vision for any project … committing themselves to the principles, relationships, and purpose that matter most to them.
Habit 3 – Put First Things First: Organizing and executing around your most important priorities.
Habit 4 – Think Win-Win: Thinking win-win is a frame of mind and heart that seeks mutual benefit and mutual respect in all interactions. It’s thinking in terms of abundance and opportunity rather than scarcity and adversarial competition, … thinking in terms of “we”, not “me”.
Habit 5 – Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood: When we listen with the intent to understand others, rather than with the intent to reply, we begin true communication and relationship building.
Habit 6 – Synergize: Synergy is the third alternative – not my way, not your way, but a third way that is better than either of us would come up with individually. It’s the fruit of respecting, valuing, and even celebrating one another’s differences … and is also the key to any effective team or relationship.
Habit 7 – Sharpen the Saw: Sharpening the saw is about constantly renewing ourselves in the four basic areas of life: physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual. It’s the habit that increases our capacity to live all other habits of effectiveness.
“The 8th Habit – From Effectiveness to Greatness” (Steven Covey, 2004), pp. 152-153
Allow me to go back to Ephesians 4, walking through those two verse in the ESV. It starts with the Law, and deals with sins of commission – “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths” and continues with the Law dealing with our sins of omission – “but only such as is good for building up”. (This sounds like Habits 2 and 4 to me) It then inserts some words of wisdom – reminding us that not all people nor situations are the same – “as fits the occasion” (Habit 5?) while also reminding us of our purpose as God’s people here on earth – “that it may give grace to those who hear it.”
The second verse then wraps things up with this incredible Gospel promise – “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” In other words a) as many times and ways as we fail in all this, God continues to love us, forgive us, and help us (we cannot change his heart toward us) and b) every time we fail at this, we break the Holy Spirit’s heart … yet he keeps on loving us, forgiving us, and helping us!
In other words, God is Christ is stuck to us through the Holy Spirit through the thick and thin of our faith, love, and hope … with the intent of not only eternally saving us but also with the intent that we would be so struck by his love that our lives on this earth reflect that same love to everyone we meet.
Stuck or Struck?