City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints,

16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;

Ephesians 1:15-16 (NASB)

Reflection

When I saw I had been assigned to write on these two verses, I thought Stefan had made a mistake. I thought perhaps he’d intended to include verses 13-14 about the Holy Spirit, inheritance, and redemption or verse 17 about the wisdom and revelation we have through the Holy Spirit, verses packed with great devotional topics, but that he had made an honest mistake. After all, he might as well have given me two verse from a genealogy or a salutation (see last week’s devotional). I thought, as much as I like Stefan, he is still just a man, and a busy man with a full-time job that is not this. Yes, this must have been an inadvertent keystroke. An honest mistake.

But then I looked at the assignment before mine and the one after and those other beautiful verses packed with powerful devotional material had been given to others. My assignment was not the result of inadvertence or oversight. 

Not one to turn down a challenge, I initially tried to figure out what to possibly write about these two verses. At first I thought I would write about how Paul had successfully discipled the Ephesians; that in the Great Commission Jesus commanded us to make disciples by teaching them to obey “all [He] had commanded” (Matt. 28:19-20); that Jesus said all the commandments could be summarized into loving God and loving others (Matt. 22:35-40); and that therefore the fact the Ephesian Christians loved Jesus and loved people meant Paul had carried out the Great Commission with respect to them; they had become disciples, and that is why Paul was giving thanks. But when I finished, it all seemed too logical for a devotional, all head and no heart.

Then I thought I’d focus on the first phrase in verse 16 and write about the importance of giving thanks to God, even when things happen like being assigned Ephesians 1:15-16  while others get the good verses. But then I thought that might sound too whiney. And besides, we all know about the importance of giving thanks to God, how the simple act of thanking God for the good things in one’s life can change one’s mood more effectively than a handful of Zoloft. What more is there to say about that that hasn’t already been said by others? It seemed too simple.

Next I thought I could write about Paul’s statement, “making mention of you in my prayers.” I thought I could write about the importance of praying for others, particularly those you envy because, for example, they get assigned better verses to write about in the church devotional blog. I thought I could write about how when you pray for people you envy, the Holy Spirit enables you to see things from their perspective and frees your soul to be happy for their good fortune. But then I realized Paul wasn’t talking about praying for people he envied but people he had discipled. So, my idea seemed inapplicable, “distinguishable” as we say in the legal profession.

It was at that point I remembered that I, like Stefan, also had a full-time job, and I simply had to give up on this devotional. End it and send it. And so here we are.

Application

Sometimes life gives you verses 15-16, and you have to do the best you can with them, and just the process of being obedient is enough to bless others, even if it is just to bring a small smile to their face to start the day.

Prayer

Lord, help Stefan to give Scott easier verses to write on in the future. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.