Growing hurts

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. ~ Ephesians 4:7,11-16


There's truths you have to grow into. ~ HG Wells

For those of us who are trained and rostered for ministry, it's good to have a focus. A mission. It's good to know that when it comes to my ministry, I have gifts that are meant to be used. That those gifts have equipped me for ministry, and that part of that mission I have - and Pastor Krais has (and all other rostered leaders have) – is to equip YOU for ministry.

But here Paul tells us that it is even more than that. We have to have a reason for being equipped - a reason even for ministry: for mine and for yours.

A reason even for building up the body of Christ.

That reason is for all to “come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.”  

Mature in the faith. No longer children, tossed to and fro.  Our faith then is not a static thing. It is an ever-growing thing. 

It strikes me that just as when we mature biologically, maturing in our faith is going to sometimes be uncomfortable. It’s sometimes going to be awkward and strange and even sometimes painful.  Growing is never a smooth process. Ask any kid who is heading into adolescence.

So then part of growing and maturing into this unity Paul is talking about means sometimes we are going to hear things that confront us and maybe we even disagree with. Imagine how much members of the early church felt confronted and confused by the challenges Paul gave them! There were plenty who even disagreed when he said circumcision was no longer necessary!

That means we aren’t always going to get it right even if people we’ve known and trusted in our growing faith have assured us that we are. It means some of our most cherished ideas from childhood aren't going to stand the test of time.

It’s going to mean sometimes having our faith shaken.

It means that some of the big "T" truths are going to take time to understand. Were we born fully understanding that full, deep agape love that Jesus talks about?

Are we still asking ourselves questions about the meaning of life?

Growing hurts. Ligaments and muscles are knitted together and stretch and grow and it hurts.

Until it doesn’t anymore.

Prayer: Equipping God, please remind me that pain means I am growing. Remind me that as I stumble and fall and get up again you are there, your truth always surrounding me with love until I am fully knit together as part of your new creation. Amen.