My Response

I shared this thought in staff meeting this week, and it has been hanging in me for the last couple of days.

In the Message, Ephesians 3:14 says, "My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth."

Paul was addressing being in jail for proclaiming the Gospel. While, I could say much about the faith and dedication and attitude of Paul, this is striking me a different way right now.

The obvious is to ask the question, "What is my response to the trials of life?" Let's take it one farther, "What is my response to life?" How do we respond to the good, the bad, and the indifferent of daily existence? How much better and more effective would our lives be if this was ALWAYS our response?

Way too often we pray as an afterthought. We relegate prayer to a compartment of our life. We make communication with God something that is separate and sanitized. Communication with God should be as raw and gritty and normal as that with our spouse or best friend. God is the ONLY One who can do anything about what we face, the highs and the lows. He is the One responsible for giving us life and it is His plan that is before us. Why would we NOT go to Him? He will give us comfort in the pain and hurt and trials of life. He is the One who deserves glory and honor in the triumphs.

I know, not every situation allows for us to physically get on our knees. I know some that are not able to anyway due to limitations of the body. Surely, we each understand that this is a visual for prayer. Nehemiah didn't have time to kneel down and pray when the king addressed him. The Bible tells us he prayed "under [his] breath." Nehemiah 2:4. His first response was to go to God.

Our first response should be to go to God. Period. No caveats, no exceptions, no others, just God!

This is easier when we remember that He "parcels out all heaven and earth."