Eph 4:14-15 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. 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.
In Ephesians 4, Paul encourages the church to remain unified and mature. In verses 14-15, he draws a contrast between two people. First are those who are like infants, “tossed back and forth by the waves,” and then there are those who “grow to become in every respect the mature body of him [Christ].”
In my life group discipleship meeting last week, we shared about how we were coping with quarantine and isolation during the pandemic. Like in the parable of the wise and foolish builders, we are definitely living through a storm right now, and it’s like the rising water and waves are smashing against us (Luke 6:46-49). Between covid-19, the unrest around racial injustice, and personal difficulties, many of us are definitely feeling challenged and stretched.
We also realized something though–while we were all facing challenges, there were ways that we were all also growing through them. Whether we were doing more listening prayer, being more thankful, listening to sermons, reading our Bibles, etc., there were ways that God was drawing us closer to him through this storm in our lives.
Maybe there are ways you relate to that as well. Are there ways that God has been drawing you closer to him during this time? Maybe through the pandemic we’ve realized how much we have to be thankful for. Maybe we’ve discovered how much we need God to pull us through each day. Maybe we’ve had to face some of our own prejudices, ignorance, and wrong attitudes over the past few weeks. All of these are ways God wants us to grow and mature so that we’re not infants who are tossed around by life’s challenges, but mature people who can weather the storms of life.
If you can, take some time today to be thankful to God even during these circumstances, and think about ways that God might be calling you to be closer to him.