Day 333, or November the 29th. Keep your eyes
open. Our thoughts today are rooted in Ephesians
chapter 1, verse 18. I pray that the eyes of
your heart may be enlightened, in order that
you may know the hope to which He has called
you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in
His holy people. And now the big picture surrounding
this verse. Paul takes a familiar theme of his
as he writes to the church in Ephesus. He urges
them to recognize their wealth in Christ and
live their lives to the full. He describes their
riches in Christ in the first half of the letter,
and then spends the second half encouraging them
to practice what is theirs already. The church
in Ephesus was the most influential of the churches
of Asia Minor, which was the western part of
today's Turkey. Paul's letter was written from
prison, and is one of four produced during his
first imprisonment. He begins by reminding the
Ephesians that they have been chosen by God,
redeemed by Jesus, and sealed by the Holy Spirit.
he reminds them that they used to be dead to
God but now they are alive to him and now our
action step for today. Whilst I am not an avid
fan of darts, I was impressed to learn that the
greatest player ever, Phil the power Tailor was
twenty-six years old before he took up darts
seriously, and only then because he moved house
and his wife bought him a set of darts for his
birthday. How sad it would have been if he had
never fulfilled his potential! This theme of
missing out is in Paul's mind as he writes to
the Ephesians, pleading with them to realize
what God has done for them and how unbelievably
rich they are in the things of God. When a baby
fails to fulfil its potential, it's a real shame.
The tragedy is no less when a babe in Christ
fails to mature and realize all that God offers.
One of the joys of ministry is spotting potential
and encouraging folk to see it too. This privilege
is not limited to leaders. It's open to all of
us. Look for potential in others, then tell them.
and watch them grow.