Ephesians 4:16 (NIV®)
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.
Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus about growing in the Lord as the Church, the Body of Christ. Growing in Christ is a whole-body event. We are interdependent. We need one another. This can be tough for Americans. We’ve got that John Wayne thing in our DNA, toughing it out and doing it on our own. But there’s an aspect of our growth and maturity in the Lord that only comes in community. People say to me, “I don’t need church to be a Christ-follower. I’ve got my Bible and the Holy Spirit.” You’re right. You don’t need a pulpit or a building in order to find your way into the Kingdom of God. But you’ll never reach maturity by yourself. Alone, you will never find the fullness of what God created you to be. We’re a body. When every part is healthy, it’s just better! You have parts you don’t even know about, but if one of them stops functioning, you’ll become aware of it. And that’s true in the Body of Christ as well. We need one another.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, Your wisdom in creating us as connected, interdependent beings is amazing to me. Thank You that You did not design us to live and grow in isolation but in community. Thank You for the love and wisdom we can find in the Body of Christ. I pray for a great increase in churches of faithful Jesus-followers where Your people can find fellowship and support and accountability. In the name of Jesus, the Head of the Church, amen.
