Word@Work Eph26 - Ephesians 3:1
Published: Fri, 10/31/08
Word@Work from BeaconLight
TRAPPED BUT CONTENT
Read Ephesians 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles (NIV)
It is not a nice feeling to be trapped in a lift (when will I get out?); or to be trapped in a job you detest (when can I get a new job?). But, it is worse to be locked out of a job that you love, or excluded from a relationship that you yearn for. Being 'trapped' in a job you really enjoy, is fine; so is the 'entrapment' of marriage to the person you love. It is not the loss of freedom which is the issue, but rather your attitude to the restriction. Depending on how you view it, you will either resent or delight in 'being trapped'.
The Apostle Paul was in prison and, although other letters indicated that he would rather have been a travelling evangelist and church planter, he was content with his circumstances. Why? Paul's attitude was shaped by that of Jesus (cf Phil 2:5-13). Jesus had not been trapped, even though he was unfairly tried and wrongly crucified - He knew it was the Father's will. Likewise, Paul knew that he was in prison for the sake of Jesus (the Holy Spirit had already prepared him cf Acts 20:23) and so he was easy. In his mind, it was not the Jews or Romans that put him in prison, but Jesus who had put him there. And indeed so, for while in prison, unable to tour the churches with personal teaching, he wrote many of the letters that now form our New Testament. So in a sense, he was there by the command of Jesus, for us.
Our own reactions to difficulty at work or home may need to be checked by knowing that, although you may not have chosen your circumstances, the Lord is going to use you in them - if you let Him. If we belong to Christ, He has the right to deploy us wherever He chooses. Trusting that we are placed strategically by His appointment, we can be confident that there is a good reason for it. And usually it has to do with conveying His truth to others. Resentment only leads to bitterness, and that is not a good basis on which to share Jesus. So why not give thanks for where you are and trust the Lord to use you - in His way.
Prayer: Dear Lord. I accept that my circumstances are not random events but orchestrated under Your hand. Help me to trust that You will use me where I am, and not to resent what You have allowed. Help me to share your truth by example and explanation - I don't know who may respond but You do. And enable me to persist confident that you know everything that I do not. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and Spanish
It is not a nice feeling to be trapped in a lift (when will I get out?); or to be trapped in a job you detest (when can I get a new job?). But, it is worse to be locked out of a job that you love, or excluded from a relationship that you yearn for. Being 'trapped' in a job you really enjoy, is fine; so is the 'entrapment' of marriage to the person you love. It is not the loss of freedom which is the issue, but rather your attitude to the restriction. Depending on how you view it, you will either resent or delight in 'being trapped'.
The Apostle Paul was in prison and, although other letters indicated that he would rather have been a travelling evangelist and church planter, he was content with his circumstances. Why? Paul's attitude was shaped by that of Jesus (cf Phil 2:5-13). Jesus had not been trapped, even though he was unfairly tried and wrongly crucified - He knew it was the Father's will. Likewise, Paul knew that he was in prison for the sake of Jesus (the Holy Spirit had already prepared him cf Acts 20:23) and so he was easy. In his mind, it was not the Jews or Romans that put him in prison, but Jesus who had put him there. And indeed so, for while in prison, unable to tour the churches with personal teaching, he wrote many of the letters that now form our New Testament. So in a sense, he was there by the command of Jesus, for us.
Our own reactions to difficulty at work or home may need to be checked by knowing that, although you may not have chosen your circumstances, the Lord is going to use you in them - if you let Him. If we belong to Christ, He has the right to deploy us wherever He chooses. Trusting that we are placed strategically by His appointment, we can be confident that there is a good reason for it. And usually it has to do with conveying His truth to others. Resentment only leads to bitterness, and that is not a good basis on which to share Jesus. So why not give thanks for where you are and trust the Lord to use you - in His way.
Prayer: Dear Lord. I accept that my circumstances are not random events but orchestrated under Your hand. Help me to trust that You will use me where I am, and not to resent what You have allowed. Help me to share your truth by example and explanation - I don't know who may respond but You do. And enable me to persist confident that you know everything that I do not. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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