But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it (Ephesians 4:7).
Yeah, so, I was supposed to be this great evangelist.
Apparently Jesus didn’t get the memo.
Which is a bummer for Christendom, because I would have been awesome. Picture thousands of people packing the auditoriums, hearing my words, craving my wisdom, buying my books, cheering my name…
Oh.
Maybe Jesus knows better than I do…
That’s crazy–
There’s no “maybe” about it.
Happy Tuesday, Beloved.
There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to one hope when you were called–one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-6).
They will tell you that there are lots of ways to get to Heaven.
They will be wrong.
Happy Monday, Beloved.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3).
Father, make us one.
Father, make us one.
So the world may know you have sent your Son,
Father, make us one.
Amen, Beloved?
Happy Friday
…be patient, bearing with one another in love (Eph. 4:2).
I’m a middle school teacher.
I know all about patience…particularly how to lose it. A middle school classroom is a microcosm of society at large. It’s filled with people who don’t listen, don’t follow the rules, hurt others for no apparent reason, make the same mistake over and over and over and over and over and respond to simple, thorough, articulate instructions with a blank look and, “I don’t get it.”
So very especially at the end of May.
The only way to avoid raining fire down upon them, the only way to endure their middle-schoolishness, is to love them.
And the only way to do that is to see them as Christ sees them–small and unsure and lonely and frightened and His.
And the only way to do that is by the power of the Holy Spirit.
So, Beloved, who will you need the Holy Spirit to help you be patient with today?
Wow…that’s kind of a lot of folks.
Don’t worry–he can handle it.
Happy Thursday, Beloved.
Be completely humble and gentle… (Eph. 4:2)
Completely is a lot.
You know what I mean?
I mean, I can be humble…really humble…way more humble than you. I can comfortably say that I am probably the humblest man you’re ever gonna meet…but even I can’t get to “complete.”
And I can be almost as gentle as I am humble, except for when people bug me because then I get a little riled up but that’s not really my fault because hey people are stinkin’ obnoxious sometimes and I can’t be expected to just sit there and take it can I of course not because they’re jerks and they fully deserve the back of my righteous wrath, baby.
Sigh…I need Jesus.
Happy Wednesday, Beloved.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:1).
I like this verse. I like it so much I kinda sorta named my blog after it.
Paul serves as our example here—he is living his calling, even though it landed him in prison. He urges us, down through the long ages, to do the same.
But hey, wait–what is your call? What is the purpose of your life and mine?
Let’s keep it simple; after all, it’s only Tuesday.
Your call, beloved of God, is to bring him glory.
Great…how do you do that? Well, the context of the verse says that you do that by keeping the peace. At the cross, God brought the chance for peace between Man and Man as well as between Man and God (Eph. 2:14-18). Our job is to live in such a way as to help maintain that unity and that peace.
Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).
May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:23).
Think about the people you are likely to see and deal with today. How can you glorify God by being, “completely humble and gentle…patient, bearing with one another in love”(Eph 4:2)?
Yeah, I know it isn’t easy.
And you know what?
They’re probably thinking the same thing about you.
But it is your calling.
Happy Tuesday, Beloved
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Eph. 3:20-21).
Sometimes this world seems so
chaotic
unstable
random
that I forget that the most important things, the God things, are
forever
and ever
and ever
and ever
and ever
and ever
and ever
and ever.
You know what I mean?
Happy Friday, Beloved.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus…(Eph. 3:20-21).
Jesus brings glory to the Father.
Now this makes sense to me.
The Son, who has power and wisdom and authority beyond all measure or comprehension, willingly set it aside out of obedience to the Father. He chose to make the Father’s will his own, and to follow the Father’s plan even when it led him, quite literally, to the gates of hell.
Because he loves his Father.
Yeah, I would imagine that brings glory to God.
Happy Thursday, Beloved
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church … (Eph. 3:20-21).
Glorifying God in the Church…what a novel concept.
Sorry, I don’t mean to be sarcastic–well, I do, but I shouldn’t.
The Church glorifies God when we lift each other up, when we hold each other accountable, when we encourage and teach and carry burdens and generally draw each other closer to the One who has called us all. The world looks at that and thinks, “Whew, they’re a bunch of messed up people, but look at how they love each other! There must be something to this Jesus thing…”
And glory be to God.
The problem, of course, is that too often we approach the Church the way we approach life–we’re here to get, not to give. When we don’t get what we think we are entitled to, it can all get pretty messy. Then the world looks at us and thinks, “Huh, why do I need that? They act just like the folks in my office.”
And the world goes on as before.
Beloved, what version of the Church will we be today? What will we show the world?
Because they are watching.
Happy Wednesday, Beloved.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us… (Eph. 3:20).
Some mornings, I don’t really feel it. I don’t feel “the power at work within me.”
This may or may not be one of those mornings.
On those mornings I wake up feeling like I haven’t even gone to bed yet, as if my alarm clock is a liar from the pit of hell.
I feel tired.
I feel stressed.
I feel useless.
I feel hopeless.
I feel broken.
I feel empty.
I feel old.
I feel weak.
Guess what, Beloved?
My feelings are full of beans. I know this, because I serve a God who tells the truth–who is the Truth–and he tells me that his Holy Spirit is at work in me right here, right now. He is filling me, strengthening me, protecting me, empowering me, building me, guiding me, transforming me into the image of the One who created me with his very breath and loved me to the depths of hell
and back.
Oh Lord, let me not be ruled by my feelings,
They are such fickle masters,
But let me trust you and walk in your truth
Today and always
Amen
Happy Tuesday, Beloved.