Making God Known
Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Ephesians 3:7-10
Paul knows that God’s grace and Holy Spirit power is upon his life and ministry. We should know that counts for us, too. As the church, we are all given the opportunity to be ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ out in our world. God’s grace and power is not only accessible for Paul, but it’s accessible for all. I am certain that God is working for all people—Jew and Gentile—to make known the good news of God in Jesus Christ. The Gospel message permits all people to make known God’s love, grace, goodness, and communion found in Jesus. So how are you making God known in these days?
Paul says that through the church the wisdom of God can become known to rulers and authorities in heavenly places. I’d like to add to that. I believe that through the church, the wisdom of God should be made known in ALL places, not just those we consider “heavenly.” We can make God known in our places of employment, at the grocery store, at the school, throughout our communities, and even when driving in the car. Think about that for a moment. Our actions toward other people can teach others about God. What are we teaching, church? Are we making God known through judgment, impatience, hostility, or road rage? This scripture actually gives us pause right now to consider how we are making God known. We can now consider: what messages of Jesus are we sharing through our daily behaviors? God’s grace and power don’t make us robots, but we must choose to accept and act upon these great gifts from God in our daily lives. Let us always remember that making God known is not a task appointed for inside of the church walls and places of worship. Love, grace, and goodness need to be on the move. For in the great goal of making God known, the church needs to leave the building and to make God known throughout the community and throughout our world.