Knit together

Following up from our last message “Seasons”… let’s pause and remember SEASONS can be hard but necessary because growth and maturity do not come easily! God desires for us to move from our self-centered, spiritual infatuation and the focus of “what Christianity can do for us” to a spiritual maturity of christlikeness and “others” centeredness.

The Word of God tells us that the body of Christ is ONE BODY. It is to be built with mutual efforts of every one of us supplying our specific gifts and talents! With that said….I have found myself hovering over the book of Ephesians (I strongly encourage you to read the entire chapter of Ephesians 4). There is so much to learn in this chapter it’s hard for me to not get off on tangents so I will do my best to exercise some serious self-control!

If you take a look at the subtitle of this chapter the Apostle Paul is URGING (beseeching) the followers of Christ to “walk in UNITY”! He starts out the chapter “URGING” us to walk WORTHY of the calling.

Wow, thats a powerful statement.

There should come a deep humility in understanding WHAT we are called to do and HOW we are to do it on behalf of our Lord and Savior!NEVER forget HUMILITY is KEY in God’s Kingdom. Verse 2 says “with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another IN LOVE (remember “God is Love” 1 John 4:8). Verse 7 tells us, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift”. WE EACH have been given immeasurable grace to walk out the very gift and calling on our lives. Don’t look at your neighbor, your friend, your pastor. YOU have been equipped for YOUR CALLING!!

This is key!! In fully realizing and understanding YOUR own call or we could say destiny….you can then give room and full support to your brothers and sisters in Christ for their gifts and callings.

This passage continues in verse 16, “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.” In valuing and exhorting one another in our gifts and talents we begin to “knit” ourselves together ….. which causes growth to ourselves as well as the entire body of Christ. We grow…. we all grow!!

The word knit is defined, “by interlocking….to link firmly or closely… to tie together, to cause to GROW TOGETHER. WE ARE ONE BODY (in Christ) CALLED TO GROW INDIVIDUALLY SO AS TO GROW TOGETHER. It’s kind of like knitting a hat. When you begin the stitching it must be firmly interlocked together so as you continue in the process of creating this beautiful hat you’ve envisioned it doesn’t lose its form and intended shape!!!

Join firmly together within the body of Christ where He’s put you (your church, prayer group, bible study, etc.) but not SO tightly that you lose sight of God’s heart…His lost children!! I think what Paul is stressing here is….TEAM WORK!! Without the WHOLE team on the field IT JUST DOESN’T WORK!!! We all have a position, a place, a talent to contribute!! Let’s get going and start contributing our part!!