"Do you want from My Son what He longs to give? Do you want to believe I'm good no matter what happens in your life, to trust My plan no matter how off course it appears, to love when you feel no love within you?
"Or are your desires too weak? Do you want merely to lead a relatively satisfying life in the midst of reliably pleasant circumstances as a reasonably good person? If that's what you want, the gospel of My Son has nothing for you. If you want what only My Son can provide, you will learn to celebrate the good news He came to bring." (66LL)
These are penetrating, intruding questions as I sit down to read this next letter of Paul's to the Ephesians. His audience and purpose is different this time. "After dealing with all the problems in Corinth and Galatia, he's now writing to a church he pastored for three years then left on wonderfully warm terms (Acts 20:17-38)." (Crabb) There's a different tone in this "warm, passionate" letter. He's not correcting nor disciplining the church, but sharing how the gospel is lived through God's creation of His Church. And it all begins and ends in the person of Jesus Christ.
How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. (1:1-2)
When I read these verses and God's plan to take me to the high places and to be the focus of His love - whole and holy - I feel delight rise in me and then quickly fade. This is not the life that I am living, not what I daily experience in Him. I miss it. I miss Him. My desires are too weak and I easily settle for a "relatively satisfying life" of "teaching and speaking and serving and giving and doing" things that bring honor from my peers, or feelings of pleasant usefulness, or secure, reasonable circumstances for myself and my family. I too often choose this over what Jesus longs to give.
It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. (1:11)
It's a new moment, a new day, a fresh gift to enter into Him and find out who I am and what I'm living for. To seek what He alone is doing in me to make me whole and holy before Him.
1 comment:
I probably fall in the "living a reasonable life". Am I doing all He calls me to do? I have no idea. I think I'm too wrapped up in my routine and raising kids. In fact, it has taken me until now to just sit down a finish reading our chapter. My prayer time is minimal at best and yet that's when I feel promptings, insights, etc. the most. Lord, I love you and do desire to embrace the life you have for me. I get sooo distracted. Jesus, thank you for Your patience with me. I hope to spend a few minutes now to just talk to You.
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