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Have you ever wondered what God truly thinks about you? Or questioned whether your life really matters in the grand scheme of eternity? These are questions that touch the deepest parts of our hearts, and thankfully, Scripture provides profound answers that can transform how we see ourselves and our purpose.

What Are We Known For?

Paul begins his prayer for the Ephesians by acknowledging what he had heard about them: their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for all the saints. This raises an important question for us today - what are we known for?

These two characteristics cannot be separated. As First John reminds us, how can we say we love God whom we cannot see and hate our brother whom we do see? If we truly have faith in Jesus Christ, we will love others, no matter how flawed they may be. After all, none of us are as messed up as we think others are, and others aren't half as messed up as we are ourselves.

Our faith must be placed specifically in Jesus Christ - not in a church, denomination, preacher, or even the Bible itself, but in the person and work of Jesus. It's His sacrifice for our sin that forms the foundation of our faith.

The Power of Prayer and Intercession

Paul tells the Ephesians that he doesn't stop giving thanks for them and mentioning them in his prayers. Imagine knowing that the Apostle Paul was praying for you by name! This reveals the incredible power and importance of intercessory prayer.

When we pray for others, we're not asking God to trip them up or bring them shame. We're not praying imprecatory prayers like David sometimes did, asking God to "bust the teeth out of their jaws." Instead, we should be praying for what Paul prayed for - that people would know God better.

What Should We Pray For?

Paul's prayer gives us a perfect template. He prays that God would give the Ephesians "a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him." We all need to know God better. There are aspects of God's character and ways that we don't understand, and we need the Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds.

Opening the Eyes of Our Hearts

Paul prays that "the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of his calling." The word "know" here goes beyond intellectual understanding - it means to experience something personally.

Many people know about Jesus but have never experienced Jesus. It's like knowing honey exists versus actually tasting it. The Bible tells us to "taste and see that the Lord is good." We need to move from knowing about God to experiencing God personally.

The Hope of Our Calling

What is this hope? Simply put, you're going to be like Jesus one day. We're all in the process of becoming more like Christ. Some are just starting this journey, others are further along, but we all have the same destination.

This isn't just wishful thinking - this is certainty. When we say "hope" in everyday language, we usually mean uncertainty (hoping to win the lottery, hoping to get a job). But biblical hope is certainty because God controls it, not us. We have confident expectation in what God has promised.

Understanding God's Inheritance in Us

Paul mentions "the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." This isn't talking about our inheritance from God, but rather God's inheritance in us. What does God get out of this relationship? He gets us.

But what will He get when He gets us? God has gifted each believer and given us a path to follow using our abilities to work in His kingdom. The question is: what will we give back to God when we meet Him?

Don't Waste Your Life

There's a powerful illustration about a couple who retired early to cruise on their boat and collect seashells. While there's nothing inherently wrong with boats or seashells, if that's all you're doing with your life as a believer, it's a tragedy. You're wasting the life God has given you.

Compare this to missionaries who give their lives serving God, even facing danger and death. When they meet Jesus, He can say, "Well done, you've accomplished everything I wanted you to do."

Don't retire just to collect seashells. You are a believer in the One who conquered sin and death and now sits at the right hand of God, dominating everything in the universe. Live like it matters.

The Immeasurable Power Available to Us

Paul speaks of "the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe." This power is immeasurable - you can't put any measurement on it. There's no nuclear bomb as powerful as the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Yet we often don't feel powerful. We wake up at 3 AM with racing minds, feeling guilty, ashamed, anxious, and alone. We feel like broken pots, unworthy servants. But Jesus says that's actually good - we're meant to recognize our dependence on Him.

Resurrection Power

How powerful is this power available to us? It's the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Paul explains that this resurrection power has spiritually raised us from the dead. We were dead in our sins, but God made us alive together with Christ and seated us with Him in heavenly places.

As God brought Jesus' physical body out of the grave, He brings us out of our quagmire of sin and makes us what He wants us to be. We have resurrection power at our disposal anytime we need it.

Christ's Complete Authority

Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion. There is no demon, not even Satan himself, no governmental authority, no spiritual darkness, no power that is greater than Jesus Christ. He has a name above every other name, not only in this age but in the age to come.

Christ's redemptive work extends to the far reaches of the universe. He is going to remake the heavens and the earth. There is nowhere our God is not, and nothing He will not redeem.

Jesus is Head of the Church

When someone asks who runs your church, the answer is simple: Jesus does. He is the head over all things to the church, which is His body. This body moves at the impulse of His desire. We give what He tells us to give, do what He tells us to do, and go where He tells us to go.

The risen Jesus Christ is actively and consciously ruling over everything right now - all history, all human beings, all demonic powers, all diseases, all nature, all governments, all inventions, all solar systems, and ten thousand things no one has ever discovered.

Life Application

This week, challenge yourself to live in light of the immeasurable power available to you through Christ. Stop living like a powerless victim of circumstances and start walking in the resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead. Remember that the same Jesus who conquered death lives in you and has authority over every situation you face.

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What am I known for - is it faith in Jesus and love for others?
  • Am I wasting my life on temporary things like "collecting seashells," or am I investing in God's kingdom?
  • Do I truly understand that I have resurrection power available to me right now?
  • Am I living like Jesus is actually Lord over every area of my life?
  • What will I give back to God as His inheritance when I meet Him face to face?

The bottom line is simple: we win. We have a "franchise quarterback" and an "owner" who has never lost a game. In the midst of daily battles against spiritual darkness, doubts, fears, diseases, and even death itself, we can declare with confidence - we win. Why? Because Jesus won, and we're caught up in His victory train. Everything will bow to Jesus one day, so why not bow to Him today?