August 9 | Ephesians 4:14-24

Carmel Elmer
Aug 9, 2025
3 min read

DAILY READING

REFLECTION

THE Source of Truth

By Carmel Elmer

The city of Ephesus was a thriving, wealthy port city influenced by numerous cultures and people from many different regions from across the Roman Empire. It was known as a center for the worship of the Roman goddess Artemis with a thriving social scene, enormous stadiums and public bath houses which were often the setting for parties involving overeating and drinking. Essentially the culture during the time that Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesian church was godless and immoral, and the temptation for the early Christians to return to the cultural norms was significant. Sound familiar?

I think about the world we live in today and how challenging it is for us to know what truth is, let alone to live by it. Depending on the source of news you choose, and there are many to choose from, you can get a completely different twist on just about anything that may be going on in the world around us. Much like the early Christians in Ephesus, we need to be so careful about the influences we allow to shape our view and, instead, we need to influence the culture around us. But, how many times have I reminded my children that bad company really does corrupt good character when honestly, I need to remind myself of that sometimes?

So how do we live out our faith in a culture that seems to be heading in the direction of ‘anything goes, as long as it makes you feel good’? I think for me, it boils down to remembering what the real source of truth is and that I have a responsibly to share that truth. But when I share that truth my motivation must be love. I’ll admit, speaking the truth in love, especially hard truths, has never been easy for me but God is love and if being a Christian means being Christ like, this is a skill I need to develop. I want to be a source of light and truth in a world that can often seem pretty dark and discouraging.

Whether you are new to Christianity or have always been a follower of Jesus, becoming mature in your faith is a process of growth that never ends. We all get discouraged by what we see around us sometimes. We all have the natural tendency to want comfort and can find ourselves tempted to seek comfort from the wrong sources, especially when they are all around us. Putting off your “old self” is not a one and done. Thank God we have the truth of His Word. I pray that we will all start each day ready to allow that truth to help us put off our old way of thinking and become more like Christ so we can be a source of His light to those around us. I love this poem by Teresa of Avila.

We are the body of Christ, and we are a reflection of him to everyone we encounter. May we truly reflect Him to the world around us and help others mature in their spiritual formation through our ability to speak THE truth in love.

PRAYER

Lord, finding truth can be difficult sometimes. Thank you for your Word which will always be the best source of truth no matter what is happening around us. Remind us everyday that we are Your hands and feet on the earth and how we live reflects you to those around us. Continue to move our way of thinking closer to you and away from the influences of the world so others will see You in us and believe.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CARMEL ELMER

I have attended UALC for nearly 25 years, but faith has always been at the center of my life. My mom was an incredible role model, demonstrating a trust in God that surpassed any circumstance. I will always be grateful for her incredible example of faith, and I pray that one day, my children will say the same about me.