Read Ephesians 4:1-16

As Christians we are called to unity. How is that possible when we are all so different? There are so many types of people and personalities. How can we possibly live as one people? The key is imitation. Our call is to live like Christ, following his example and being transformed into his image. The example that Christ gives us is love. That’s why we are called to bear with one another in love and to speak the truth in love. There are times to speak and times to be quiet, but the overarching principle is love. To be like Christ is to live a life of loving God and loving others. It is God’s love for us that saved us and it is God’s love that transforms us. This summer you are probably spending a lot less time around people than you do during the school year. Allow yourself to be refreshed by God’s love during this time. When the school year starts back up you will be reunited with friends but you will also find yourself sitting next to new people in classes and meeting new people in the halls. Perhaps some of the people you encounter will be very different from yourself. The opportunity we have (especially when conflicts arise) is to respond with love. With every person you encounter you can think through the following questions: How can I show God’s love right now? How can I love like Christ in the way I respond to people? These questions have the potential to help guide our actions and produce a new sense of unity in us next year. May this be a year in which you love others with a love that is rooted in Christ and his word.