Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV)

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 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. 15 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. 16 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.

Reflection:

The Movie “Rudy” (1993) was based on the life account of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger who harbored dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame despite significant obstacles- finances, academics, and physical limitations. Even through all these obstacles, he was still able to enroll at Notre Dame and “walk on” to the football team as a back up player on the practice squad. In spite of his small stature and “walk on” status, Rudy’s drive and daily work ethic positively affected and encouraged the more talented scholarship teammates to do their best. Once thought to be an insignificant part of the team, he became a big part of the team’s overall success.
In the church, how we are to one another and how we do our part, as part of the body really matters. Not one part of the body is insignificant as everyone can positively effect and encourage one another. Together we can all grow in unity and be built up in love toward maturity in Christ, looking forward to attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Response:

We all play a significant role in the body of Christ. Let’s spend time in prayer asking for the Lord’s empowering that we may each work hard for the Kingdom; doing our part in helping to build up the body of Christ and growing in love toward maturity in Christ.