Run the RaceSample

[God has made] known to us the mystery of his will . . . to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:9-10)

While Paul doesn't use the image of running in Ephesians, think of the letter as a training manual for building resilience to run the race. Paul wants us to see the bigger picture as we run and how our lives are caught up in a larger purpose. Notice how the triune God is the subject, the one at the center of the action. God blessed us . . . God chose us . . . God lavished his grace on us . . . God redeemed us . . . God has forgiven us . . . God has made known to us . . . God united all things in heaven and earth. This last one is the main theme of Ephesians. Even now, God is at work taking everything that is fractured in the cosmos and healing it and making it whole in Jesus Christ.       

The Christian life is not a "just-try-harder" self-salvation project. It is all about what God has done, is doing, and will do in Christ by the Spirit. You have been created, blessed, and chosen for a purpose. You are not an accident. You are not a mistake. Your life matters because it is part of God's larger plans and purpose for the world. What's that purpose? In any and every season, to be God's beloved child and to live all of life for the praise of God's glory. 

As you pray, ask God to help you see the bigger picture today and remind you of your purpose.