Ephesians 4:1-6  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. (NLT)

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Do you know how many Toyota RAV4s there are on the road these days? Sometimes, it seems like every other car is a RAV4. I began noticing these cars recently because I am now driving a RAV4. We leased a RAV4 for my mother a year or so ago. She doesn’t drive now that she lives near us here in the Big City. 

The Reticular Activating System in your brain “acts as a gatekeeper, helping the brain to focus on relevant stimuli and filter out irrelevant background noise. This is why you may suddenly notice a name or a car model once it becomes important to you.” (See the National Institutes Of Health for more information.)

The Reticular Activating System notices all the RAV4s. It also points out all the Bible verses and passages talking about harmony and unity these days. Take a look at the verses above from Ephesians 4. Unity, harmony, and love overflow here just as they did in Paul’s letter to the Romans and Corinthians. Sometimes, it’s pretty clear what God is saying to us. This is one of those instances.

Think of it like this: God wants to drive out of our churches and denominations those things that keep us fussing, fighting, and sniping. No matter how we might try to justify our irritability toward one another, God wants us to grow up and get over it. He wants us to put on the kinds of character qualities that protect us from these self-defeating behaviors.

Reread these verses. There’s not much wiggle room for a case of the crankies here.

* 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.

Always, he says. Make every effort, he says. BE, he says. This is a settled disposition for maturing disciples of Christ. This is not optional behavior. This is not reserved for the aged and wise alone. This is an All-Skate command, not an invitation.

This is also convicting. None of us is above it all when it comes to unity, harmony, and love. So, if you weren’t sure what your spiritual priority for the day was, here’s your sign. Get happy, be nice to everyone, and notice when your heart begins to sour toward anyone for any reason. 

Remember to apply whichever part of God’s remedy you need for what drives you toward the crankies:

*  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.

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I will grow in the grace of humility and gentleness, peace and unity. 

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Our Father, you keep reminding us to be nice to everybody. You keep insisting on kindness, humility, and gentleness. You tell us over and over again to be patient and to overlook faults lovingly. You do not make it optional for us to live in unity and peace. Please empower us for this kind of living because it does not come naturally. Only your Spirit working within us can transform us into these kinds of people. Amen.