Week 9 | Friday
Friday – One Body in Christ
Written by Jillian Walters (Jefferson Campus)
Ephesians 6:22-23
“I am sending (Tychicus) to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying love.”
Throughout Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he stirred followers to faith and faithful living from afar. Once his letter was written, he sent it in the hands of Tychicus, who served as the deliverer of the message. Many readers skim through the last lines, but there is much to be discovered here. Tychicus was not just the deliverer of the letter, he was the sharer of news about other believers, an encourager, an offerer of peace and love from the family of believers. In short, he was an ambassador, and the fuel for his work was his undying love for Christ.
I can’t help but think about mission trips when I read this passage. When traveling on a mission trip, you are an ambassador of Christ. To the Christians you serve, you are someone willing to sacrifice your time, money, and energy to come serve their community’s needs. You’re an encourager that they aren’t in this spiritual battle alone. You’re a provider of much-needed support, rejuvenation, and prayer. You are the hands and feet of Jesus. To the unbeliever, you are an example of the love of Christ, a God they don’t yet know, but who loves them all the same. You’re Christ-like.
But at the root of a mission trip is the heart behind the final words of Paul’s letter: “Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with undying love.” Is your love for the Lord “undying?” Will it stir you to go across the world or across the street to tell someone about Jesus? Is it the core of your being, fueling your every thought, decision, desire, and motive? Undying love denotes consistency that isn’t swayed by your surroundings or the crowd you’re in. Undying love warrants sacrifice. Undying love is what Jesus had for you before you had even heard his name. May our undying love for Jesus make us different, Christ-like, and forever ambassadors to the entire world of the love He has for ALL of us.
Reflection Questions:
- To what lengths are you willing to go for the gospel? Do you allow God to call you out of your comfort zone to be an encouraging ambassador of Christ?
- Ponder your love for the Lord. What words would you use to describe your love for Him? In what ways can you stir and nourish that love if it isn’t yet “undying love?”
Prayer Prompt:
“Holy Father, you call us out on the waters. You stir our souls to do your work. May we love you so deeply that our faith does not waver when your call is not something of our choosing. May our love for you be undying, unshakable, and a testament of your glorious love wherever you call us.”