Category: Ephesians

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:14).

When exactly is, “Then?”  As in, “Then we will no longer be infants..?”  Scripture tells us it is when we become mature in Christ.

Ah.

And when will that be?

Could it please be today? Hmmm?

How many times have you felt like you were being blown hither, thither, and yon by people claiming to know what’s what?  I remember, as a baby Christian, being caught up in a group of people who thought that the Rapture was imminent—as in, right now imminent.  One woman came in to work and told me, with great excitement, that she had heard the trumpets begin to sound that very morning.

Thirty-many years later, it would appear that she just had tinnitus.  But what did I know? I was an infant, maybe two or three months old in Christ.  I was tossed about quite a lot in those days. God, however, is faithful, and over the years he’s taught me to surf a bit.

Here’s a promise, Beloved—you will grow.  You are growing, right now, even as you think about and chew on his Word.  Every day, moment by moment by moment, God is conforming you to the image of his Son.  Your words are growing richer in wisdom and fuller of love. Not always, but often, and more so as the days go by.  You will grow, by his grace and in his time, into the person he has called you to be.

In the meantime, hold on tight–the sea can get pretty rough.

Happy Thursday, Beloved

It was he who gave some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service… so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13).

Someday

We’ll get there someday.

We have his promise on that.

All the junk we deal with now–the selfishness, the bitterness, the envy, the greed, the backbiting, the insecurity, the indecision, the inadequacy, the sadness, the anger, the agonizing, all-consuming fear…

we’re gonna grow out of that

and

into Christ.

I think Someday might just be my favorite day ever.

Happy Wednesday, 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 tell you that truth is individual..

They will tell you that God is a construct.

They will be wrong.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

…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.”

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 Tuesday, 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 “completely.”

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 Monday, 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 has 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 Thursday.  

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 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 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 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, 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 Monday, 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 Friday, Beloved.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine…(Eph. 3:20).

I have quite an imagination.  

So do you.

I mean, we can be pretty creative, ya? But we serve a God who can do “immeasurably more” than we can even think of asking for. Once again, Paul reminds us that God is far too big for us to wrap our brains around. And still I keep trying. That sound you hear? That is my brain exploding.

Happy Thursday, Beloved