We love to measure ourselves against the folks around us. Somebody is always a little shorter than we are.

Paul will not let us do that. The goal is “mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). The pencil mark is set at the height of Jesus, not the person on the next pew. When you understand this, it humbles you, because nobody has arrived. It should also encourage you, because there is always more of Christ to grow into.

Growth has a direction. We are to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). More activity is not automatically growth. A weed grows fast too. There is a difference in accomplishment and activity.  It is just growing the wrong way. A garden vine needs a trellis to give its growth a direction, and Christ is where yours is supposed to point.

Growing into Him means holding truth and love together, “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). All truth and no love turns you into a hammer. All love and no truth turns you into a pillow. Jesus was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), both at once.

Watch Peter. He left his nets, sank in the water, swung a sword, and denied his Lord. Jesus restored him beside a charcoal fire (John 21:15-17). Less than two months after the cross, he preached on Pentecost. The last line he wrote to the church was “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Think of one person you have been a hammer with, or a pillow with, and go make it right this week, with truth and love in the same conversation.

Look more like Jesus this October than you did last October.

Just some thoughts,