Building the body of Christ

by Colleen Fitzpatrick

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But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift (Ephesians 4:7).

Read Ephesians 4:1–16

How are your preparations going for Christmas? The countdown is well and truly underway – well, I guess it has been for a couple of months.

I’m a great one for lists. Leading up to Christmas, I need to:

• Write a Christmas letter for that annual contact with family and friends.
• Post/email Christmas letters and cards. Note to self: make sure to remove those who are no longer with us.
• Buy Christmas gifts – it’s hard to know what to give people nowadays. There’s nothing that people seem to need, and their wants may well be things that I can’t or won’t be able to buy.
• Make Christmas cake and pudding – except that no-one seems to like to eat them anymore.
• Sort out where we will spend Christmas Day – whose turn is it to host?

We know that Christmas Day is one of the most challenging days of the year for many people. There are those caught up in domestic or family violence who are particularly vulnerable as people come together, and differences are heightened by the enforced contact. At the other end of the scale, some have no family or people close to them with whom they can share that seemingly all-important day and those for whom Christmas is a time of remembering people they are separated from, either by death or other circumstances.

In today’s reading, Paul reminds us of the gifts of grace and the love Christ has given us – and that we each have our own giftings. Once again, we are made aware of the extravagance of God’s gifts to us: God has filled the heavens and the earth with gifts.

I want to encourage you to take some time in the following days to reflect on what gifts God has given to you. I believe everybody has been blessed with their own unique combination of special gifts and talents. Let’s acknowledge those and use them to God’s glory and to the good of those with whom we celebrate and remember this Christmas season.

Gracious and generous God, thank you for making me in your image. Thank you for the gifts you have given to me. Please help me to use them for your glory and the good of my community. Amen.

Colleen lives in Adelaide with her husband, John. She enjoys reading, writing and keeping in touch with friends and family in Australia and overseas. After growing up in rural New South Wales, Colleen attended university in Sydney and then moved to Adelaide for two years in 1974. After meeting and marrying her husband, she has never left.

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