Daily Devotional
Real Love Produces Maturity
“…but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Ephesians 4:15b-16
October 28, 2024
Ponder This
The way all parts of the body work together is beautiful. Joints connect different parts of the body to be a whole. When Paul spoke about the joints, he spoke to not only unity but flexible harmony. My elbow is a joint—it’s what connects my forearm to my upper arm. So, it keeps me connected, but it’s also flexible and enables me to bend my arm. That is how the Body of Christ should be, but some people get stiff. We get spiritual arthritis. And rather than having this flexibility, we become rigid.
When I studied human anatomy and physiology in college, I found out that we have synovial fluid that lubricates these joints. When the cartilage becomes dry and the synovial fluid is not there, the joint gets inflamed, swollen, stiff, and painful. Just like our physical bodies need the right amount of synovial fluid to keep our joints healthy and moving, the Body of Christ also needs “synovial fluid” to keep it healthy and active.
The synovial fluid in the Body of Christ is love. When we love one another, we don’t inflame one another, and we don’t become immobile. We become mature in stature: we become like Christ. We become mature in stability: we’re not blown about. We become mature in speech: we know how to speak the truth in love. And we become mature in service: we serve one another, and the Body works together to serve others.
- What have you done intentionally to love those in the Body of Christ?
- When have you struggled with being flexible in the Body of Christ? How did you get through it?
Practice This
Intentionally love and pour into someone at your church.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
