Ephesians 6:23–24

Ephesians 6:23-24 

English Standard Version 

  Paul begins the letter to the Ephesians by wishing them grace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

  Here we are, at the end, and Paul is wishing them... grace.  There is peace and love, but it's all rooted in grace.  When we bask in grace, we realize that we have been given a gift, one that we are not worthy to receive, and so it makes us grateful.  Gratitude binds us together, and the love we have for Christ and one another creates a true community.  Paul lays out his desires for that community in between, but our environment is bounded by grace, bordered with love, and within that, we are surrounded by God.  May we live gratefully in that environment, striving forward in unity, loving one another.

Ephesians 6:21–22

Ephesians 6:21-22 

English Standard Version 

 We do a lot on our own now.  Many of us are glued to a screen, living an independent life.  We are in isolation often, and true community is rare.

  Paul is reminding us how important it is.  Paul is sending Tychicus to encourage hearts.  Community matters.  We're not in this on our own.  

  So whose heart can you encourage today?  Who can you reach out to in love, that they may know how you are and you may know how they are.  Encourage one another, for that ties us together.

Ephesians 6:18-20

Ephesians 6:18-20 

English Standard Version 

  Here is the real key to it all -- it's not the weapons that make Paul successful, but it's the reality that it all hinges on prayer.  He is not the key to success, but rather the Holy Spirit at work in and through him.

  This is such a hard thing to remember.  We put such pressure on ourselves to get things perfectly correct, or we feel like we're not holding up our end of the bargain.  But God is at work in and through you.  God's power and wisdom are the keys to success, not your own.  Trust in God, and lean into the grace that surrounds you, day by day, for the words to speak and the actions to take.  God will never disappoint.

Ephesians 6:17

Ephesians 6:17 

English Standard Version 

  I still remember a knothole baseball game years ago where I took a pitch right in the earhole of my batting helmet.  I didn't feel a thing, as the ball wasn't thrown very hard and those helmets were pretty solid.  But it probably would have hurt quite a bit without that helmet.  

  Helmets protect the head, where the mind sits.  We need our minds to keep us cool and protected, especially in times of conflict when we are under attack.  We need to know how to use our swords, offensively and defensively, which in our case is Scripture.  How do we rely upon the Word of God for guidance?  If we rely on our own words and wisdom, we'll likely fall short.  But trusting in God... that is a battle plan to win the day.