Carolisms and Ephesians

Wow.  What a not very catchy title.  However, it comes from the pages of a book in my brain of "Carolisms".  Carol is my mother.  She is one gem of a lady, and she has these sayings.  So many are just plain goofy.  When she is referring to calling someone on the phone: "give them a jingle-jangle on the hello machine."  "Wowser dowser".  The list is long, and I often repeat them without realizing it.  One particular "Carolism" that she may have learned from some other source of wisdom: "Put the most charitable construction on the things people say and do."

It's been rumbling around in my brain quite a lot lately.  Combine that with time in Ephesians this fall and random observations...

Put the most charitable construction on the things that people say and do.  It doesn't say, pretend that people are only doing charitable things.  But so many comments and actions are open to interpretation, and it is gracious and kind and HEALTHY to see those actions in the most positive light.  How does it feel when you try to say something kind or helpful, only to have it misunderstood, and the other person looking at you in anger or disdain or the like?  Not so spiffy.

What does this have to do with Ephesians?  A whole stinking lot, as I learned this fall.
Let's start with Ephesians 4...
"...walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace..."  It continues on to talk about one body, one Spirit... a whole lot of oneness.

Humility and gentleness and patience and love and an eagerness to maintain the unity of the Spirit in a bond of peace does not go hunting in the dark for other's sins.  I am not advocating that you pretend the sins of your brother or sister are not there when they are sitting in front of you, I am simply saying that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin.  He prods in the dark places.  We become cynical about everyone's motives, looking for an underlying evil in even the most inert comments when we take over the role that the Spirit has been given.  And, that puts us in a position of little humility, minimal love and certainly not in the pursuit of oneness.  (On another note, we can become morbidly introspective when we spend hoards of time digging in the dark of our minds for sin)

Ephesians 4 did not end with verse 7 or 8.  It then talks about gifts we are given to build up the body of Christ, to attain the unity of faith, and to grow in maturity.
" 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.  Rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ..."

I made my point about hunting in the dark, but it is incomplete to end there.  We are a body, "joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."  It clearly states that to be the body of Christ, to mature, we must speak the truth in love.  If we love one another, we also will not ignore the sin that has been brought to the light.  We will not ignore or pretend its okay for our brothers and sisters to continue in their sinful idolatry.

Chapter 5 unpacks this a bit more: It names specific idolatries that are incongruent with those who are "imitators of God".  Then, right after talking about those comes Verse 6: "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore do not become partners with them for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord."  The part that really hit me was "let no one deceive you with empty words."  Let us not deceive one another or be deceived into thinking our idolatry is okay.  Those are empty words.  Our idolatry will suffocate our souls.  When we speak the truth in love, we don't minimize the catastrophic nature of sin with empty words of assurance. (oh, I struggle with that too, it's not that bad.)  Let us be clear that the bad news of our sin is really that bad.  Just a little sin needs just a little saving.  Our great sin, our worship of our idols, needs a triumphant rescuer.  Of which there is only one.

Doesn't it seem contradictory?  Don't go hunting in the dark, but speak the truth in love?  What are we supposed to do?  When?  How?  Shut up or speak?  Is this the time?

Chapter 5: "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs..."

I get a big fat "F" in the when to speak and not to speak department.  Ask lovely husband of mine.  He says something meant to be helpful and I assume the worst and think he is trying to manipulate me.  Friend is struggling with sin and I try to minimize how detrimental it is with "empty words".  My position as a child of the king is sealed.  My failures in loving my brothers and sisters doesn't change who God says I am.  He also does not leave me alone to flounder in the "one another department."

"In him (Christ) you are also being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." Eph. 2:22  We are being built together as the temple of God corporately, BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD.  Wisdom comes not from our own human set of rules that we try to carve from the pages of scripture to give us a blueprint for what to do in situation A, B, and C.  Wisdom is from God.  And we are being built together BY THE SPIRIT.  We don't build the body.  We don't save the body.  Christ is the only rescuer and power and wisdom only come through his Spirit.

Come, Holy Spirit, come.  Build us together.  Give us wisdom and insight into one another.