“So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” – Ephesians 4:14
Stability of belief and understanding is a mark of spiritual maturity. As we grow in Christ, understanding Him and His Word more clearly and deeply, we’re less easily influenced by others. This is a very good thing – one of the essential reasons Ephesians 4 says churches are blessed with pastors and teachers. If you were to honestly assess yourself, is this where you are? Are your beliefs and emotions anchored in Christ and relatively unchanging? Or are you all over the map based on what you’ve last seen, heard, or read?
Many Christians today are very much tossed about by the waves and winds of algorithms and influencers. They have zeal for the Lord but lack the stability of truly understanding what He taught. If that is you, seek to grow in maturity. How? Ephesians 4 is clear that we mature and our minds grow stable as we fellowship, worship, and study in the local body of Christ, a Bible-believing and teaching church. This doesn’t happen overnight but is a result of engaged living and studying of God’s Word with others. Choose wise pastors and teachers and learn from them rather than letting algorithms feed you more and more different and confusing influencers.
Cunning, craftiness, and deceit are the norm of the day, especially on social media. There are wonderful resources available online and terrible ones. Don’t let any of these replace the growth opportunities available through a faithful church of Jesus Christ. #FollowJesus