Ephesians 4:1-6 Therefore I (Paul), 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, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
This is your focus. Remain humble – live in the knowledge of who I am and who you are. Be forgiving and patient. Especially these right now. There are many who have mistreated you for your beliefs, for your ability to stand firm in those beliefs. They are beginning to see truth – some because of what is happening around them and far too many because of the consequences of the decisions they made. They do not need your judgment, your anger, your desire for revenge. Yes, they have harmed you. But in harming you, they were really seeking to harm me. Never forget that truth. You are in a spiritual battle, and instead of seeking to return the harm that was done to you, seek to rejoice in the fact that many are coming to salvation. Remember that all of you are fallible, all of you make mistakes, all of you sin, all of you hurt each other and all of you hurt me from time to time. So, do not stand in judgment. Do not put yourself on any sort of pedestal over those who have been believing the lies and acting upon those beliefs. They are suffering enough because of it all. Do not add to it. And if you are not able to be loving toward someone right away, take yourself away and pray for me to help you. They need my children to minister to them, no matter how badly they may have treated you. For once you were ministered to in your unbelief, perhaps by people that you had mistreated. Offer the same hope to them.
Amanuensis 