Being Tossed Around

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped as each part is working properly promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. Ephesians 4: 14-16 NRSV

I have a terrible habit of getting distracted. I may be headed into one room in our house to do a certain task but then something will catch my eyes - a project, a problem or a pleasure - and I am suddenly doing that which I had no plans and certainly no time to accomplish. Even in trying to do what God would want me to, I get distracted. I really do try to order my steps but I find myself off course more than once a day!

The same thing happens in church work - someone says something and I get totally off course in the way I was trying to act or the non-anxious presence I was trying hard to convey.

So when Paul says we must no longer be children, being tossed to and fro and blown about by any wind, I really can relate!

But what can I do to stay on track?

His solution: speak truth in a loving way and grow in our life with Christ. In other words, we must be mature in our faith and be willing to stick with that maturity in our words and actions. If we feel like we are being led astray, we need to say so but in a loving manner. The best part of this is we are not to try to do this alone. Paul says we are a part of the Body of Christ. When we find ourselves trying to be a finger when we are an ear, that is when we need to be corrected by one another. If the other person is not aware of where they are straying, we need to lovingly steer them in the right direction. Notice the lovingly part, though!

God, you have given each one of us with different gifts so that we complement one another. Help us to be the body parts you call us to be and help us to lovingly correct each other when we lose our sense of direction. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Question of the day: Where have you gotten off track lately?

Copyright 2009 Amelia G. Sims