Week 6 | Thursday
Thursday – Target Practice
Written by Brian Hutton (Pickerington Campus)
Ephesians 4:11-14
Key Verse: “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (13)
When I was growing up, one of my hobbies included bowling. Yes, I was one of those kids who had their own bowling balls, shoes, bag, towel … (don’t judge me too harshly). Now, if you have ever been bowling, you know how difficult it can be for some people. But can you imagine how much harder it would be if you were blindfolded? Your score would be so much worse because you would be blind to your target. The same thing is true in our relationship with Jesus. We can’t hit the target God has for us if we are blind to what that target is. And in verses 11-14, Paul gives a clear picture of the target for the lives of followers of Jesus.
If you are part of the body of Christ, your target in life is what Paul wrote in verse 13: to “reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” The goal for believers is to reach the maturity that Christ Himself attained. We could spend quite a bit of time unpacking all that this verse includes, but let’s focus on Paul’s phrase, “in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature.”
As years pass by, we should not only grow old in Jesus but also more mature in Him – both as individuals and as a community. Here’s the thing: knowledge of the Son of God includes intimacy, not just information. Mere facts and information about Jesus will not transform the darkest places of your heart, but an encounter with the resurrected Christ will. If we want to be people who grow in our understanding of Jesus and become mature followers, we must spend time with Jesus. This certainly includes growing in knowledge with our minds, but it must also involve growing in the knowledge with our hearts.
So, what does this look like? Some answers to this question include reading the Bible, spending time with the Lord in prayer, listening to worship music, serving and attending church, etc. All of these are great ways to grow in your relationship with Jesus. But here is a better question to ask yourself: What stirs your affections for Jesus? Once you know the answer, here is the secret – do more of that! Let’s be a church that makes space to grow in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature because, as followers of Jesus, this is our target.
Reflection Questions:
- How would you describe the target (aim) of your life? Are you answering this question based on what you want your target to be – or what your life actually displays?
- What stirs your affections for Jesus? How can you make space to do more of that?
- Who is someone you can invite to walk alongside you in your maturity and growth in Christ? What would it look like for you to ask for accountability?
Prayer Prompt:
“God, thank you that you have made yourself known to me. Guide and lead me in growing in a deep heart knowledge of who you are and what you have done.”