As a child, my brother and I would race to our closet door and want to be measured. It was there that our parents charted how tall we were and what age. I remember stretching my neck as tall as I could to cause the marker to go a little higher. My measured growth made me feel significant.
We did the same for our girls. Each marker was a name and a date that measured growth, and each mark was so much more than ink on a doorpost. Each mark measured a moment and identified a memory in our family.
You probably have a similar board or doorway in your home. As you look at those measured moments in time, memories of your life and your family flood your mind. While this is a picture of your family, it also illustrates God’s desire for His church.
We are urged to grow and mature in our knowledge of Christ and strengthen our testimony of His goodness to the world. As we read Ephesians 4:11-13, we clearly see this elevation of purpose and design. Furthermore, we learn that each believer carries their individual God-given gifts that impact this story and development.
Those gifts need exercise to flex and grow. This is not simply for our individual development, but for the good of the whole. As His church, we are forged in unity through a bond of peace that comes from Christ. We are called to demonstrate to other believers compassion, care, and our calling to advance God’s mission of hope.
Just like that the family growth chart marks the maturity of the family unit, so does the collective growth of a church fellowship display the forged and unified presence of Christ at work. Commit today to exercise the discipline of utilizing your gifts to serve others. It not solely for your benefit, but others grow when you grow.
For example, a father who pursues Christ and exercises daily prayer, Scripture study, and servitude will be more likely to model Christlike conduct to his wife, shepherd his children intentionally, and lead a family who is unified in purpose.
How will you intentionally serve and exercise your spiritual gifts today so that God can be glorified and His church can be strengthened in the forge of Christ?