DAY 05 | PLOTLINEž ž ž

centering thought

“In three concise and compelling phrases, the apostle Paul beautifully sums up what is to be the Christian life …”

encouragement from God’s word 

Read: EPHESIANS 5:1-2

devotional direction 

There is something both comforting and empowering about knowing what is required to succeed in a given facet of life. It is wonderfully satisfying to know how to make a valuable contribution at work, how to make your sweetheart feel seen and loved, how to help your children thrive in their schoolwork, how to move the needle on health issues you’ve been dealing with, and how to make peace with your pocketbook month by month. 

In the Ephesians 5 passage above, it’s as though the apostle Paul says, “Want to know how to succeed in life? Here is the answer, in three succinct sentences: “Imitate God in everything you do. Live a life filled with love. Remember that you are so loved that Jesus sacrificed himself for you, an act of mercy that forever will fill you with hope …”

These words have the power to change everything, if we’ll allow such transformation to unfold. We need not fret over our troubles. We need not expend energy in an effort to control circumstances. We need not orchestrate or manipulate or strategize or scheme. We need only look to Jesus—the “author and perfecter” of life, as Hebrews 12:2 names him—and do only that which he would do: listen well, serve well, invest well, love well, while taking our every cue from God.

We don’t have to hunt for the secret to success in life, for the secret has already been divulged. Do these things, the Scriptures exhort us, and all other things will fall into place. 

question to ponder

What distractions threaten to move you off-course today from this central plotline of life?