Built Up In Love
“We are to take everything He gave us and do something with it, showing up with our best effort to multiply what He has provided.”
Ephesians 4:2-3, 7, 11-16 (NIV)
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Reflection
We often get lost along the way, caught up in the details, “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (verse 14), and as a result, we fall short of doing our part.
Where has God guided and protected you, but you haven't done your part? God offered us a deal. He will rescue you, love you, equip you with all you will ever need, forgive you, comfort you, give you grace and peace, and love you so that you can build the body of Christ.
Are we holding up our end of the deal to follow God and trust Him?
Sadly, there are a few areas in my life where I've become complacent, coasting, drifting, and I’ve stopped doing all I can, preventing me from experiencing all I could share. I love that we can be in partnership with God as He does His part without fail, but when we fail to do our part, we hinder the growth of the mature body.
God gave us this life to live in unity, mature in our faith, and to lead others to Him. We are to take everything He gave us and do something with it, showing up with our best effort to multiply what He has provided. But are we?
Scripture says, "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers" (Verse 11) and God has given you to this world with gifts, strengths, blessings, and talents as well.
You believe God will make a way, and you have faith as it is your foundation, but you can't just sit around with a strong foundation and refuse to build on it with all that God has given you. Our responsibility is to have good character and do the next right thing, to seek to understand what God desires of us, to fulfill our life's purpose, and to grow to be more like Jesus in everything we do. It's our responsibility to serve others with a big “YES!” as we wake up to the beautiful opportunities God gives us. It's our responsibility to be patient, humble, loving, and kind, even to the unkind. It's our responsibility to generously love, with no restrictions or strings attached, as He has loved us. This is our part.
God has done His part. Let's do ours today.
Action Steps
Prayer
Lord, give me the strength, confidence, and maturity to do my part. As You give me this new day of life, I thank You, as I will not waste what I have been given. Open my eyes and heart to someone in need of You. Use me to make a difference in someone’s life and to help build the church up in love. I pray this in Your mighty name, amen.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Reflection
We often get lost along the way, caught up in the details, “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (verse 14), and as a result, we fall short of doing our part.
Where has God guided and protected you, but you haven't done your part? God offered us a deal. He will rescue you, love you, equip you with all you will ever need, forgive you, comfort you, give you grace and peace, and love you so that you can build the body of Christ.
Are we holding up our end of the deal to follow God and trust Him?
Sadly, there are a few areas in my life where I've become complacent, coasting, drifting, and I’ve stopped doing all I can, preventing me from experiencing all I could share. I love that we can be in partnership with God as He does His part without fail, but when we fail to do our part, we hinder the growth of the mature body.
God gave us this life to live in unity, mature in our faith, and to lead others to Him. We are to take everything He gave us and do something with it, showing up with our best effort to multiply what He has provided. But are we?
Scripture says, "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers" (Verse 11) and God has given you to this world with gifts, strengths, blessings, and talents as well.
You believe God will make a way, and you have faith as it is your foundation, but you can't just sit around with a strong foundation and refuse to build on it with all that God has given you. Our responsibility is to have good character and do the next right thing, to seek to understand what God desires of us, to fulfill our life's purpose, and to grow to be more like Jesus in everything we do. It's our responsibility to serve others with a big “YES!” as we wake up to the beautiful opportunities God gives us. It's our responsibility to be patient, humble, loving, and kind, even to the unkind. It's our responsibility to generously love, with no restrictions or strings attached, as He has loved us. This is our part.
God has done His part. Let's do ours today.
Action Steps
- Are you using what you have been gifted, building upon these gifts to honor God and others?
- How will you share your story, your gifts, your strength, your prayers, and connect with someone this week?
- How will you love others and give grace to keep the unity of the Spirit?
Prayer
Lord, give me the strength, confidence, and maturity to do my part. As You give me this new day of life, I thank You, as I will not waste what I have been given. Open my eyes and heart to someone in need of You. Use me to make a difference in someone’s life and to help build the church up in love. I pray this in Your mighty name, amen.
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