Today’s Reading: Ephesians 3
1-3 This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you’re familiar with the part I was given in God’s plan for including everybody. I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief.
4-6 As you read over what I have written to you, you’ll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God’s Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I’ve been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. – Ephesians 3:1-6
One of the biggest weapons that the enemy has against us is, isolation.
It is the use of isolation and loneliness and separation that the enemy allows us to forget that we are to be in community and to be strengthened by each other. Over the last several weeks and months, we have been inundated with the thought that we are separate and different from each other. The fear that we have been given has been exploited. But in today’s passage, we are shown that no matter how different we are, no matter what we go through, we all are in the same family.
In this letter to Ephesians, Paul shows us a much needed reminder, we are connected. He shows that it’s not by accident or coincidence that God reveals to us our connections at the right time.
We may look different, we may speak different, we may eat different, we may dance different, but at the end of the day we all are one family.
We all have that same connection to each other. It is our differences that make us unique and make us exciting. It is our differences that make us stronger together.
I may be a great cook, but I am not a great builder. My brother may be a great builder, but not a great cook. When we come together, we are able to lift each other up together with our differences and our unique traits allow us to grow together. We do not have to be envious of each other because of the other traits. We should be able to celebrate each other and to enjoy each other’s greatness and uniqueness to build us up together.
There’s a couple of examples that I was just given this week of how isolation can cripple us.
The first example is from a patient. While counseling her about medications and giving her these reminders, she informed me that the past month she has had so many difficulties, and she doesn’t know how to make it. At that point, I gave her compassion and let her know that no matter what happens, “We are here to help you.”
This is a critical point where another pharmacist could’ve browbeat her, but I gave her a soft hand of compassion and of love. And when she saw my compassion, tears started to flow. It only took 10 seconds of compassion and kindness to show this person that she mattered.
One of my friends just shared a very moving testimony on his behalf. He is remembering the departure of his brother 10 years ago. He also shared the difficulties that he has experienced over the last month. In his sharing, he opened himself up to connections with others. He was able to push past this isolation and by sharing the community is able to uplift him and give him strength.
It is hard to get out of isolation and out of our own mind. It is hard to become vulnerable to anyone. It’s hard to become vulnerable to your family, to your friends, to others. But when we have the love of Christ in us, we can become vulnerable. This vulnerability allows us to be strengthened. When we become vulnerable, we do not have to worry about the ramifications of someone using that to their own advantage. When we become vulnerable, we allow Christ to strengthen us and protect us from others who would use it against us.
That’s what isolation does is tries to keep you insulated from others’ love and compassion.
As we go through this week of love and compassion and joy, allow us to be more vulnerable and open to strength and for love and for mercy.
Be Blessed
You must be logged in to post a comment.