The Body of Christ

"And he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. As a result we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." - Ephesians 4:11-16

The Lord gave me this scripture while I was praying last night. I felt His presence so strongly while I was reading it, and I really felt that He was telling me to be encouraged. I'm at a time in my life when my faith in the walking out of the works of the Holy Spirit is being challenged, and during this time God has been immensely faithful to keep me strong. He never fails to encourage me just when I begin to feel overcome with doubt, and sometimes even despair. I don't know if anyone will read this, but if you do I want to encourage you in this one thing: the LIFE of Jesus Christ is something we are meant to walk in every day! This one seemingly small fact is something the enemy tries to steal from us constantly. He's always telling me that real life lies in the world or that my true happines will be found when I truly discover who I am. But through the faithfulness of Christ, I must always realize that my contentment lies in knowing who I am in Him, and that means being willing to step out on a limb and walk in faith.

I don't know about you, but sometimes the things of the Spirit absolutely terrify me. No matter how much I want to experience everything that Jesus has for me, I still wonder at Him speaking through someone else, or giving someone another language, or filling the room with a "spiritual" presence. The conclusion He always brings me back to is this: I am finite and He is infinite! I don't think I'll ever be totally comfortable with His ways because my mind isn't able to wrap itself around HIM. I don't understand Him, and that is why He has given us all of eternity to delve into the depths of His character. This I do know, that we are meant to walk in abundant life, and if you walk in anything less than abundant life, you are letting Satan steal not only your happiness, but more importantly you are letting Satan steal God's glory. Let God teach you to renew your mind every day, and as you learn to listen to His voice and follow the leading of His Spirit, I promise you will be ultimately fulfilled.

Your sister in Him,
Ruth