Ephesians 4:14-16

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 most important thing when eating a salad is to make sure there is enough lettuce, vegetables and dressing with each bite.  In order to get the perfect bite, usually the salad is vigorously shaken and/or tossed, causing all the components in the salad to be displaced.  Similarly, in today’s passage, Paul uses the imagery of an infant being tossed and turned to describe what happens to the church when they are easily influenced by false teaching. Because they are not firmly grounded in the truth, the church can also be tossed back and forth.  But Paul goes on to paint a beautiful image of what the church in its maturity will be like, one that speaks the truth in love and builds each other up. Tossing is appropriate for salad making, but not for the church! So let us do our part, as part of the body.

Response:
Let’s pray that as a body of Christ, we will continue to grow into maturity, being firmly rooted in the truth as we acknowledge that Christ is the head. Let’s ask for the Spirit to help us do our part in the body so that the church may grow up in love.