“......eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace...”
Ephesians 4:2
HELPS WORD STUDY - “eager”
Cognate: 4704 spoudázō – properly, be swift (go fast, speedy); (figuratively) move speedily, showing full diligence (fully applying oneself); "do your best" (concentrate on, give priority to). See 4710 (spoudē).
4704/spoudazō ("act with full diligence") conveys fervency ("speedy commitment") to accomplish all God assigns through faith
spoudazō) means being "eager to do something, with the implication of readiness to expend energy and effort – 'to be eager, eagerness, devotion'" "to do something with intense effort and motivation".
2 Pet 3:14: "Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be speedily diligent (4704/spoudázō) to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless" (NASB).
4704/spoudazō ("act with zeal") is accomplishing what God deems "best" and doing so quickly which speedily elevates the better over the good ("mediocre").
Reflection: 4704/spoudázō ("carefully attend to duty") shows intense desire to do "our utmost for His highest."
To keep Paul’s letter in context, he has just put forth the prayer for the church to be strengthen with might through the Holy Spirit infused into our inner being SO THAT Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. Infused with strength, rooted and grounded in love, filled with the fullness of God, Paul exhorts the church to ‘a walk worthy of our calling, being found eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit’.
Do you see how prayer from chapter three leads into this ability to maintain unity? Unity flows from a heart filled with love and honour. Paul goes on in chapter four to remind us there is just one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one God AND CHRIST IS NOT DIVIDED. May I remind all of us, that Jesus himself said a kingdom divided cannot stand. Without the love and honour, we tend to bite and devour.
We must be diligent on our part individually to eagerly maintain, be diligent to preserve, the place of unity in our midst. Paul wrote, it is with humility, gentleness, patience, in love, that we are capable of holding unity in the bond of peace. Where I value my opinion, my judgments above another’s, I must be careful not to allow my heart to shift from Jesus’ place of Lordship and despise another.
Graciousness flows from standing in the grace of God and as we are strengthened with dunamis: miracle working power, (which is miraculous when I don’t want to obey) through the Holy Spirit I allow His fruit to manifest through my life. We will never maintain a place of unity if we continually focus on, and hold to our differences and dismiss others.
These are days of great distractions, highlighted by the wiles and deception of the evil one. We could be drawn away from looking at the one who is to hold our heart and gaze. May we, as His church be filled with such a spirit of wisdom and understanding that we are not drawn away into narratives that bring UNRIGHTEOUS divisions holding fast to the head able to walk in a manner worthy of our calling.
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. For there is only one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.