From Fellowship, To You: Sunday 11/25

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. - Ephesians 4:16

I have heard from a number of different people at a number of different churches that first the body must become healthy before it can reach out to others. First people must grow up in Christ and attain a higher spiritual maturity before they can serve and work for God. I've even had someone say to me about a church that they were attending that they could not and should not reach out to the rest of the world until they have had deeper spiritual experiences. I've never liked ideas that go that direction. This verse is why.

The passage illustrates a picture of the church as a body. Each person of the church forms a part of this body. This verse says that the body will grow, each individual part of the body will grow and build itself up, as each part does its work. Essentially, to properly grow as followers of Christ, in order to be transformed into the individuals God has called us to be, we must serve the community. We have to do the work required of us. It is not about becoming who God has called us to be and then serving each other and the world. It's about serving each other and the world while being transformed, healed, and freed by God in order to become the people God has called us to be. We all are a part of the body and have a God-ordained role involving serving Christ by serving people. All of us, wherever we are on our spiritual journey, have work to do. What are you doing?

I usually know what the right thing to do is. I really do. I don't think that’s necessarily that impressive. Honestly, I think that despite life's many complicated situations with their ambiguous moral complexities, Christians most often know what the godly thing to do is. For example, I know that when I have a full schedule and have neglected spending time with God, the best thing to do is not to engage myself in some mindless activity that allows me to distance myself from the rest of my life. It's probably to spend some time in prayer and Scripture, resting instead of escaping. I know that when I'm talking to a friend, it's not the best thing to talk about the easy things when there are deeper things, more difficult things, that need to be dealt with. I know that when I'm with others who don't know Jesus, the best thing to do is not to meet them where they're at in nearly meaningless conversation, but to direct it to their only hope for a life that matters. Still I do all these things. What I know to be right, I so often neglect. What I know to be wrong, I so often do. I am full of self-aware selfishness. My problem is not one of knowledge. It's one of action. I don't think I'm alone. Many of us daily find ourselves in situations where we knowingly choose the easier way over the godly one. It's keeping us fearful and keeping us from the life God has for us. Let's choose better.