August 30, 2010
Ephesians 4
Mike Schwiebert
In my ideal working situation, while I can appreciate my boss telling me what to do, I like to figure out the how on my own. When my ideas are on the line, it energizes my performance.
The one thing we don’t often talk about, but I believe is the crucial key to success, is the question: “Why are we doing this?”
For Christ-followers, Paul answers this question in Ephesians 4:12-13: “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 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.”
Do you see it? Unity and maturity happen when the people of God are serving each other!
God-gifted and properly functioning leadership does not produce unity or maturity. The people of God are required for that.
These verses don’t tell us how or where to serve. We get to figure that part out ourselves. Yet I find the why to be inspirational - our service ultimately leads to fullness in Christ…for everybody.
So, as a friend encouraged me recently, keep your stick on the ice. We’re all in this together.
Did you know? Mike, brother Tim, and Pastor Farrell were teammates on an undefeated flag football team in college.
