The Power Play

New Year is well-known for making resolutions. You know ... financial stability, healthier eating, more exercise, better mental well-being, better relationships, a closer walk with God ... oh ... wait ... maybe not that one. Most of them are worldly and personal and not that important. And we Christians make them ourselves ... often.

In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul prays for them.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. (Eph 1:18-19)

He wants them to know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance, and the surpassing greatness of His power. That last one Paul goes on to explain. What power does he want them to see ... to know firsthand? He wants them to see the power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at God's right hand and made Him above all rule and put all things in subjection to Him (Eph 1:19-23). This power, he goes on to say, raised us from "dead in sins" to "alive with Christ" (Eph 2:1-7). (Note that Ephesians 2 begins with "and," indicating Paul is adding to the previous thought.) That... is the power Paul prayed the Ephesian believers could see.

A lot of us are thinking about "What should I improve this next year?" How about that? How about taking a good look at the power of God that raised Jesus, that is "toward us who believe" (Eph 1:19), that is actually at work in us (Eph 3:20). Imagine the power that raised Christ from the grave and raised you from the death of sin being currently at work in you. Imagine the heights we could attain on that power. "More abundantly beyond all that we ask or think" (Eph 3:20). Much better than a skinnier waistline or a better stock portfolio.