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Ephesians – That’s Me
Saturday’s Special – My daily goal is to not let my work get the way of reading my Bible. As a preacher, you might think this is strange. Don’t I read the Bible in preparing to write sermons, classes, and articles, and such? Yes. But. Sigh. I have discovered, rather too late in life, that “just” reading is far more important than I realized. It is more important than reading other books about the Bible; and more important than studying to prepare for you as part of my work. For example, today I have to finish a magazine article (the deadline is today), plus finish Sunday’s preparation (class, sermon, bulletin), and still hope to have time to visit for a gospel meeting (a friend is preaching). Unlike before, I did not let my busy schedule be an excuse to not read. Today I read Ephesians.
Most footnotes of Ephesians 1:1 include, “Other manuscripts omit ‘at Ephesus.'” That means this was likely a general epistle Paul sent places where there were Gentile Christians. “That’s me”, I reminded myself.
Then in chapter 2 Paul speaks of “we” and “you.”; Jews and Gentiles. But this time I was like the Jews, the religious folk who were raised in a good religion, who despite their religiosity: “We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of the our flesh and thoughts, as we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also” (Ephesians 2:3). “That’s me”, I reminded myself.
Chapter 4 didn’t do my spiritual ego much good either: “All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31). “Shouting” is something I did at my children just this week. From a fleshly view, they deserved it. From a fleshly view, I deserved to be yelled back at. From a godly view, I should have spoken more quietly and set a better example.
Our goal must be to set time to read without stopping to studying and dissect the text. There must be time for serious study; but there must be time for serious reading too. Don’t forget though, that reading is not for the purpose of staying on schedule. It’s to take the time to digest big amounts of God through His word, and to think, “That’s me.”
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