Loving One Another Helps us to Grow and Mature Together

Ephesians 4:15-16
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. 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.

Strangely enough the word “truth” is a squirrelly word in our culture and society. Especially in these times, it is so difficult to know who you can believe. Our media is filled with all sorts of differing stories with bias slants and even political or personal agendas driving what they leave in, what they leave out, what they emphasize, and what they pad. We live in a culture that believes in “relative truth.” Where your truth can be different than my truth, and yet they still call both “truth.”

So who do you believe anymore? That should never be a question among your family in Christ. We should know that we are all people of truth. That we will believe in truth and speak truth. And we do so in love, we speak truth in love. We are truthful people who are truthful with each other. Who all hold on to the value of Biblical truth, and that Biblical truth is absolute truth, not this wishy-washy “relative truth” that is so prevalent in the world around us.

We hold each other strong by sharing Biblical truth among us. So that we aren’t “blown here and there by every wind of teaching” out there. And the result of speaking truth in love? Is that we mature. We grow together.

Another way Paul mentions that we grow and mature together in this passage is that as we each do our own part of the work, we are built up in love. As we each use the various gifts that God has given us to work together, all of our different parts grow and support each other holding the body together.

And all of this is in love. We speak the truth in love. We do our part of the work in love. We are built up in love. Love is at the center of God’s Kingdom. We must never lose sight of that.

Reread this passage and as you meditate on it as yourself:

• How can I be more connected with God’s truth?

• How can I lift my brothers and sisters up by speaking truth in love?

• Have I found out what my part in the Body is?

  • If so, am I working for the Kingdom in my part?

  • Am I doing so in love?

• Am I working together with my other brothers and sisters in Christ to help us all grow and mature together?