Ephesians Lesson 5/Day 6

What do I have, what do I enjoy, what could I experience that truly is mine? My son? God gave him to me. My marriage? God brought our lives together. My talents and skills? God gave me the mind, the memory, the means to bring them all to life. My very breath is the breath of God. The truth of this doesn’t make me sad at all. On the contrary, “whom have I in heaven but you and on earth I have no one besides you?” When I live in that truth I live with arms and hands and heart open. Rather than clutching my will in my marriage I happily submit to my husband. Rather than grasping for ways to get my child to see things my way, I peacefully release him to the Father. Rather than manipulating my way into a higher position in my career or pressuring those who may work for me, I live with joy and eagerness to help others succeed. My dad wrote a simple, yet powerful song that is a great reminder in light of today’s passage. “The cattle on a thousand hills belong unto the Lord; the sun, the moon, the stars are His; it’s written in His word; All I have was given to me; Not a thing I own; how angry I get when I forget; that it’s all on loan. No rights, no rights have I; I gave them to the Lord, enthroned on high. No rights, no rights have I; I’m a slave of the Lord – now free am I!”*  Paul first introduced and validated himself as an apostle set apart by the will of God. Then later in the letter, he reminds us all that he’s a slave – a bondservant – of Christ. That’s the right mindset. That’s the truth. My rights, my will, my desires are subject to Christ. I’m His. He’s mine. That’s all I need.

*I’ll sing the full song for you in today’s recorded study.