Will the circle be unbroken?

Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:7-16

You know those moments in life when everything just seems to come full circle? You are going along, living your life, and one day God just brings all things into perfect alignment and for one bright, shiny moment, it doesn't seem that life could get any better!

Today's reading is like that for me. Paul tells us that it was Christ "who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up..." He goes on to say that through the individual callings on God's people, we will mature, no longer be like infants, and "we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."

Did you see that? Full circle. Christ calls us to work in the church, using our individual gifts and callings to build up the body. At which point, the body will grow up into Christ, who is the head of the body. 

You can take a step further and say that a mature body will love enough to attract non-believers, who will become believers, use their gifts and callings to help further build up the body as it grows up into Christ, the head of the body. Full circle again. 

He finishes this thought in verse 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." It's not a full circle without all of us doing our part. So we can all ask ourselves where we are on the circle, what we are doing to help the circle grow, and what we are doing to help the circle remain unbroken.

- Holly Barrett