Ephesians 4:15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

The truth is very matter of fact and if we do not temper our speech with a dollop of grace, it can feel like a hammer to others.

The preceding verse says “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” We should be mindful that this chapter of Ephesians is addressing the unity of the body of Christ, the church. Out in the world there are haters who have been indoctrinated by deceitful schemes.

Deceitful schemes are the creation of the enemy of Christ and opposes love with hate. Jesus warned us in the gospels. Luke 21:17 “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.” That is the gospel truth. We can see it more clearly now than ever before.

Frustrating as it may seem the only way to combat hate is with love,  not our own fleshly love but the Love of God that abides in us all. We do that by growing up in Him, becoming the mature disciples that do not return violence with violence.

I am now reminded of Jesus’ instruction to turn the other cheek and its meaning. The face is the expression of who we are and we must not let hate change our countenance. As a former warrior I was trained to kill the enemy but our real enemy is already defeated and the only weapon left in his arsenal is spreading hate to the emotionally immature.

Children learn to hate from their parents and teachers. Those who hate have been indoctrinated to hate and that is the only thing they know. The only thing that can get through to them is the love of God. To know His love someone has to show it to them. We will not do that if we cannot control our tongues.

James 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

So much damage has been done in this world by those who “think” they are religious that it has given religion a bad reputation. Perhaps it would be better if we think of ourselves as the obedient children of God, the One True God. As obedient children we are meant to build the character of Christ in our daily lives, to show His face rather than our own.

How we think of ourselves matters.

1 John 4:17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

Believing God rather than ourselves are noble thoughts.

I want to love perfectly and I try to do the right thing. The results are not always acceptable.

We can only put love out there, the results are not within our control.

• 1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
• 1 John 4:16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

I believe this even if I don’t see it. My problem more than anything is my expectation of the reciprocal effect of the love of God. If I put His love out there I expect to see results. Sadly that is the flesh seeking acceptance. Disappointment is the end result for seeking in the flesh those things generated in the spirit.

Things are bad right now and we pray. Then nothing happens. The problem is in the prayer if we do not pray God’s will. We pray from a position of fear and doubt. I know, I do it. It does not matter how much we agree if it is not within God’s will.

So what is God’s will?

To be in this world as His Son is in the world. Not as He was in the world but how He is in the world. His abiding love never fails if we walk in it. I tend to forget that and try to match a love that is so much greater than my own. But I try.

So I try to remember the process. God speaks, I hear, I believe, and I obey. It always begins with God speaking and if we are not listening, we know what happens next. We walk where we want and do what we want.

The better part of prayer is listening.