📊 Ephesians 4:26-27 | Striving for Unity

📧 In today’s email…

• 🫂 Paul’s call to unity

• 😡 How anger destroys relationships

• 📊 Tuesday Trivia about Ephesus

 🧠 Memorize

_{see if you know what words go in the blanks}

Be angry and __ ___ ___; do not let ___ ___ __ down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Ephesians 4:26-27

Striving for Unity 🤝 

The theme of unity runs throughout the entire book of Ephesians.

Our memory verses (4:26-27) are part of Paul’s practical instructions for living out that unity in everyday life.

In chapter 4, Paul transitions from grand theological truths to a practical call for transformed living.

This transformation shapes how we handle conflict and emotions, especially anger.

It’s important to note that Paul doesn’t condemn anger itself, but warns against letting it turn into sin.

Anger that lingers can become a wedge, dividing relationships and weakening the church.

Over time, anger not dealt with becomes bitterness, resentment and eventually apathy.

And when these take root, it opens the door for the enemy to sow discord in the very community Christ died to unite.

Paul knows that anger is a potential threat to unity within the body of Christ, as well as our witness to the world.

Let’s sit with the metaphor of the body Paul uses for a moment:

Imagine you’re helping a friend move furniture.

Now imagine your right hand was angry at your left hand and decided to ignore it and not work together.

It would make doing the task at hand (moving furniture) exponentially harder.

In the same way, anger that lingers within the body of Christ hurts its ability to carry out the task it has been giving:

to glorify Jesus and make him known to the world

Stay Informed While Remaining Focused on Christ 📰 

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It’s a free newsletter read by 900,000 believers (including me and my wife) that summarizes the biggest news and pairs it with Scripture to help you stay focused on Christ.

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Apply & Respond: Unity Over Anger  🫂

Ephesians 4:26-27 gives clear guidance on handling anger: address it promptly to maintain unity.

But if you’re anything like me, it can be easy (in the short term) to choose two other options:

• Avoid conflict, tell yourself to just “get over it” and pretend like you’re not angry

• Tell yourself “I’ll bring it up eventually” but never do

Reflect 🤔 

Think of someone you're currently frustrated with.

• What specific incident triggered these feelings?

• Where have you been avoiding a necessary conversation?

• What steps could you take this week to discuss it with them?

Pursuing unity means taking intentional steps toward reconciliation—even when it’s inconvenient.

Jesus says “blessed are the peacemakers” not “peacekeepers.”

Reconciliation requires concrete action.

Schedule the difficult conversation, listen without defensiveness, and be willing to both offer and accept apologies.

Ask God for wisdom to handle sensitive discussions with both truth and grace.

Trivia 📊 

Answer key ✅ 

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Ephesians 4:26-27