Any peculiar temperaments out there?

 Therefore I, 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. (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Without a doubt, life can be challenging when attempting to live it in 'community' with others. Sometimes it is even more challenging than if we tried to live alone! Can we always choose who is part of our community? Not always, so we just need to know that God has placed us there to be a blessing, to live at 'peace' with one another, and to spur each other on to good things. 

Be patient with each other - easier said than done, right? We all do and say things that aren't always kind or thoughtful. We might not always come across as patient, especially when tired or stressed. God's request is that we make room for each other's 'idiosyncrasies' (our peculiar temperaments that make us each unique individuals). We don't make room for each other's sins, but we don't sweat the small stuff that makes us each unique that could be a bit of an 'irritant' to others.

Will the socks always make it to the laundry bin? No. Will the counter always get washed down after someone makes a snack? No. Will the dishwasher always be loaded and unloaded timely? No. So, we need to make room in our life for those things we might consider 'small annoyances' in our day. They are not big deals in the scheme of life. They matter to you, but do they matter more than the person behind those actions? That's the real question!

God's plan has always been for us to do live within community. That comes with the challenges of living with some habits we may not have ourselves, think appropriate, or even appreciate. When Christ's love and his peace matter most, the small annoyances in life won't matter quite as much. Make peace with your own habits and then make way for others to be at peace with theirs. The more we seek peace, the more our enemy may get us focused on those annoyances. Remember, it his goal to separate us from one another because he knows our strength is greatest when we are united! Just sayin!