Grow Up

A few things before I look at this passage. First, thank you all so much for taking this seriously and participating. I am loving it and I am so thankful that the Lord gave us Ephesians. Secondly, I wanted to share a what happened to me today to boast in how amazing God is and the kindness He showed me.

I was driving today on 417 running an errand on my lunch break and I started hearing a clicking noise from my car. And then it began to slow down. I figured something was wrong (by God's grace I thought "I should pull-off" - First blessing) and I pulled off at non-busy exit (it was right were my car started to slow down - second blessing). At the bottom of the ramp, car dies (before pulling out into traffic -third blessing). I turn on the hazards and jump out to push it out of the way and into a little driveway thing, which was perfectly out of the way and down hill! (couple more blessings right there. Well a fire inspector came up behind me on the ramp and offered to help me get down and off the road, another blessing. Oh, and no one else came down the ramp while we were moving it. As I sat there I couldn't help, but rejoice because I had been meditating on Ps. 34 this morning and also finishing Job. "I will bless the Lord at all times..." kept ringing in my ears! I know this was by His grace! I had called dad and AAA were on there way. Thankfully there was nice cool breeze and I had my Bible in the car! So, I just kept reading Ps. 34 over and over and kept rejoicing! What a gift scripture is! It started to rain, but by the time the tow truck got there, it stopped. Basically my car was taken into the shop and deemed too expensive to fix or not worth it. God really blessed me with this car. I never had any real issues. So, I am praying that I will find a new one quickly and I would appreciate your prayers. God is sovereign, He gives and takes away! He always provides and already has my next car planned. Whatever He blesses me with I will be thankful! I will bless the Lord at ALL times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth...Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! I say all this not to bring attention to me or for you to feel sorry for me, but rather to be amazed and rejoice in the Lord's provision and love. I didn't deserve any of the blessing above, just like I didn't deserve to be redeemed by Christ! I have Christ, what else do I need?!! I can't help but rejoice!!!

Back to the passage and sorry for being long sharing that on here. Eph. 4:1-16, is filled with many wonderful truths. Scott did a great job exhorting us along with Paul to "be who we are called to be." Excellent encouragement, something we need to be reminded of everyday. I wanted to focus my attention on verse 11-16:

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

I am extremely grateful for those in the faith that have gone before us and show that we might be built up in Christ. But I am also grateful for those that lead us now. We are so blessed to have the pastors and leaders we do! They constantly spur us on to grow and mature. Also, our Church is filled loving believers who care and build one another up.

Verse 14 begins to talk about what it looks like to mature and what the opposite of that is. How do we not fall into what verse 14 talks about? By studying God's Word and doctrine. I am convicted that really need to study hard and KNOW what I believe. I don't want to be naive like a child in these areas. I need to arm myself and be who I am called to be! I need to continue to grow up, so that I can speak the truth in love and also be one who builds up the body of Christ. I know that I need to encourage more, especially biblical encouragement, so that it will make others in the Church stronger. Let us be a mature people who constantly seek His absolute truths and be able to shift through the trash that is thrown at us each day. May His Word inform everything we do! And there is so much more to be said...!