“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)
Christ has joined us as believers into ONE body. We all represent THE church. The church isn’t a building—it is us. There isn’t that church or this church, there is only THE church.
As every individual uses THEIR gifts in THE church, the other members of the church GROW. The one gifted in cleaning is building up the pastor. The one changing diapers is building up the musicians. The one doing the bookkeeping is building up the child singing Father Abraham in Sunday school. It is ALL connected. The church is like spaghetti, not a waffle.
The purpose of building each other up is so that the WHOLE church is healthy, growing, and full of love. I wonder some days if the world sees us doing that?
Think about Chick-fil-A. No matter the location, the service is excellent, the menu is the same, the food is delicious. The building might look a little different, but people know what to expect when they walk in. Can we say the same about our churches? Do people know they will encounter love, grace, and unity when they walk in? That’s the vision Paul paints—a body working together in perfect unity, full of love.