Walk This Way
with all humility and meekness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love Ephesians 4:2
Bearing – How do prisoners walk? Paul describes each step. Humility and meekness is the first foot forward, then long-suffering, then bearing with one another. We have probably heard a lot about humility. Perhaps we have even been given instruction about meekness (domesticated power). Certainly anyone in any sort of personal relationship has a wealth of experience with long-suffering. But the next step isn’t quite what we might imagine. What it means to bear with one another is not about tolerance. It is about rainfall.
The Greek word anecho means “to hold up or hold back from falling.” Bearing with you doesn’t come close to tolerating you. What Paul wants me to do is lift you up when you need support. I must be your load-bearing wall. That sometimes means I won’t tolerate you. I won’t tolerate your sinful behavior or your evil inclination or anything else that prevents you from experiencing the full delight in the Lord. Sometimes being the load bearing wall means acting like concrete – but only sometimes.
Other times bearing with you requires a lot of bending. It requires stooping down to get underneath your problems and lift them off your shoulders. It requires getting down in the dirt, laying a foundation, finding my way to the basement and acting as the floor under your feet. It requires tenacity, resilience and reliability as I demonstrate over and over that I will not leave you. I bend to help.
So, what does all this have to do with rain? Well, this Greek word is found in the LXX in Amos 4:7 where God uses the Hebrew word mana’ for withholding rainfall. Sometimes bearing with you is holding you back, keeping you, retaining you and acting as your spiritual umbrella. Sometimes bearing with you means keeping you out of the rain.
There is a lot to do when I take the step of bearing with you, but none of it implies tolerance for what is false, evil or injurious. Whether I am the wall around you, the floor under you, the cable that bends with you or the umbrella that keeps you dry makes no difference to the truth. If I am going to bear with you, then I must reflect the character of the One who did those things for me.
Ready for your walking shoes?
[audio:https://skipmoen.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/walk-this-way-clip.mp3]Topical Index: bearing, walk, anecho, mana’, Amos 4:7, Ephesians 4:2
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Good morning fellow-citizens and saints! It is good to return to this website and see what our Father is doing through this online community. I am very excited to see what G-d is doing here. “What saith the scripture?” should ever be our “mantra”, (even worth a “tat” if I was into that sort of thing)! (I prefer a t-shirt as the “canvas” is fading!)-‘please pardon the King James here but this is what I was weaned on. (and yes, I realize the KJV has it’s “issues”) Ok, then.. let’s bring this way of speaking into the vernacular of today: “what does our “Him-book” say?” This verse out of Ephesians (which has been referred to as “the Switzerland of the New Testament!) gives us a lot to chew on. Thank you brother Skip for another foundational wall to stabilize our faith. How we desperately need to “shema” this portion of G-d’s word into our lives (and the lives of our neighbors!) and make this happen today. “Bear one another’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ” is cousin to this verse. So apropos for us today. I have been so busy this past week or so, I hope this mad rush of life will slow down enough for me to return to this goldmine of a website to receive what I have been missing the past few days. I suppose I am bewailing the “blight of busyness”,.. but “it’s all good!” Abba’s blessings to all today!- “in Him!”, carl
A most excellent word, and above all – practical and applicable. Thanks and God bless.
I am a biblical counselor and this Word is what I needed to hear… so does every counselor.
This is what ADONAI has been speaking into my spirit regarding our Mishpachah…1 Thess. 5:11- ‘encouraging’ (parakaleo – ‘call near’ [as opposed to repelling] with words that LIFT UP [my lips]) and ‘edifying’ (oikodomeo – performing ‘tzedakah’ OR deeds that BUILD UP (my hands).
That’s the sanctifying work of the Ruach HaKodesh in and through us.
…and boy, do we NEED that in our lives…daily!
shalom shalom aleichem, all!
“Amos 4:7 where God uses the Hebrew word mana’ for withholding rainfall.”
Hi Skip,
As usual, another great spiritual lesson and the message for the most part is very clear.
I say this because there seems to me to be some ambiguity with Amos 4:7 in the context of Ephsians 4:2.
Or maybe not; isn’t “keeping us out of the rain” a punishment from God in Amos 4:7?
And are you saying mana’ means witholding?
Thanks,
Mike
mana` (maw-nah’) (from biblos.com)
to debar (negatively or positively) from benefit or injury — deny, keep (back), refrain, restrain, withhold.
Thanks Carl.
biblos.com is very cool 🙂
Skip … for those facing the challenges of dealing with spouses and family members in different places …. this is a very good word indeed!