Ephesians 4 Humility a step into the full measure of Christ

Ephesians 4 (The Message)

verse 1-3

"get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences." (emphasis Mine)


I love to read this chapter in The Message it brings it to life for me! 
Because I love poetry, reading The Message version helps me to imagine Christ writing me a poem about life.


Ephesians 4 is one of my very favorite chapters in the Bible every time I read it I am taken by it all over again! 


Today the Lord made this verse Jump out: Ephesians 4:3 
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." This is in the NIV version though. But what Jumped out the most was the word completely. It implied that sometimes we think we are being humble but  are not completely humble. Sometimes we let our ego creep in and we look out for ourselves before we pour out ourselves for each other in acts of love. I want to be completely humble, Lord help me to be! 
In this society being humble is seen as a sign of weakness sometimes. We are bombarded with propaganda of self esteem-how to increase it and how to look out for number one. I believe the Lord wants us to be confident for he gives us power and through him we can do all things, but he does not want us to be proud he wants us to be humble-completely humble.
James 4:6 from the amplified version
But He gives us more and more grace ( power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it). 


Proverbs 16:5 from the amplified version
Everyone proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting, hateful, and exceedingly offensive to the Lord; be assured [I pledge it] they will not go unpunished.


He taught us humility first hand and we are to follow his example. I don't want want to set Himself against me I want him on my side. So Lord, I pray help me to always check my motives and to be completely humble through your strength even when it is tough and my flesh wants to take over-with your power I will have victory!


I see humility as a a stepping stone on the road to obtaining the full measure of Christ. I love to dance, to watch dance, and to see how the music brings the dancer into rhythm. I want to be in rhythm with the Lord. I want to dance with him to the music of eternity that he has written in the scriptures for us. The fruit of the Spirit and the gifts that he has given us are the notes that keep us in rhythm with him so that we can become more like him everyday and not just that but He wants to make us alive in Christ.




Ephesians 4:12-13 from the Message
"He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ's followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ."