Ephesians 4:14-16 — Grown-Ups

READ THIS: Ephesians 4:14-16

14 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. 15 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. 16 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.

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

Nobody likes being told to grow up, but Paul kind of does that here (in a way nicer way than most people do). He explains that infants in the Christian faith are people that can be easily swayed, kind of like someone being tossed around back and forth in the waves of an ocean. But Paul says our goal should be to grow in maturity in Christ, or to literally grow up when it comes to our faith. When we have a mature faith, it will be able to hold itself together with Christ leading the way, much like the head (the brain) controls what the rest of the body does.

So how do we grow up our faith? The best way is by spending time with the guy who should be in charge of that process: Jesus! We can do that by getting in the Word and talking to Him directly through prayer. Another great way to grow in maturity is by surrounding yourself with people more mature in their faith or even people who are trying to grow in maturity alongside you! The best place to find that, in my humble opinion, is by getting plugged into Christian community at a church.

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Have you ever been told to grow up when you really needed to? Was it ultimately helpful to hear in the long run?

2. How can you mature your faith today (even a little bit)?
 
TRY THIS:
 
A great way to grow in maturity with Jesus is by reflecting on how far He's taken you. Think back to when you were first getting to know Jesus, and write down 3 things that Jesus has helped you grow in since those days!

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