All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
Ephesians 1:3 (NLT)
Some time ago, I was offered a job which seemed like a perfect fit. The location would have been very good for my family. The pay would have been a little better than I was receiving at the time. The work hours would have been substantially less than I was working. The team which was assembled to work with me were all long-time professionals who knew how to get the job done. Many of my friends who worked in the area reached out to me and highly recommended that I take the job. Everything looked like it was pointing for me to take the job. That is, everything except a still small voice which was telling me not to take it.
After a lot of prayer, I turned the job down with some hesitation, because it looked like a great opportunity. The Holy Spirit had never led me wrong, and He never will.
It turns out the job wouldn’t have been anything like was promised. The work environment was toxic. Employees held grudges and hated change. Anyone who would suggest a change would immediately be condemned. The board of directors couldn’t agree on any direction for the organization and had burned through several leaders in just a few short years. In other words, it was a hidden blessing not to have taken that job.
The Apostle Paul was no stranger to following the Holy Spirit. He abandoned his former life of luxury and honor to pursue life as a tent-maker who was constantly battling to share the gospel message about Jesus Christ in foreign lands. Yet, despite the hardship that Paul faced, he never lost track of what was truly important – the Kingdom of God.
In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul penned our verse today, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” Notice that His focus for blessing is not necessarily in the here-and-now of earth. Nope. Instead, Paul’s focus is on the blessing of belonging to the Kingdom of God. His salvation is secure in Jesus Christ, and no one can change that.
No matter what happens in your life, stay connected to Jesus. Listen for that still small voice to lead you. And, keep your eyes fixed on the Kingdom. Don’t chase what seems like good opportunities. Chase after what is eternal and heavenly.
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