October 26, 2021 FITTED TOGETHER
Ephesians 4:14-16 “As a result, we are to no longer be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all respects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
Most would agree that even before the advent of iPhones and computer technology, we were an independent minded people. But today, by observation, it appears that many are actually addicted to their iPhones. (I underastand; I have to guard against overuse of my cell phone.) However, most would also agree that one downside of almost constant cell phone use is that we have become more individually isolated. I say all that to say that God has designed us in such a way that we need each other, but yet, our culture under minds that reality. God has given each of us certain gifts; we are unique individuals with our own temperaments, backgrounds, strengths, and weaknesses. As believers, we ‘supply’ one another; one may have a need that you are I can meet; one may need the encouragement we can supply; one may be living in a way that is not pleasing to the Lord, and God can use us to admonish him or her to turn from their ways; God may give us an insight of a particular scripture that would bless others, and etc. Each believer has gifting’s that others need. The body of Christ grows and is held together by that which each joint (you and I) supplies; where one lacks, others can supply. An antidote to turning from being focused on the things of the Lord is to be connected to the body of Christ-which is the church. (You will likely have to search for a local church that is desiring to be a church that is seeking to be the church as God designed it to be.) The word for us today is for us to resist the temptation to be ‘lone rangers;’ to resist the tendency to isolate ourselves from the input of other believers; and to find our place in the body. You and I are needed. You have something that others need. (See 1 Corinthians 12.)
1 Corinthians 12:11-14, 18 “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.” “But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed