The Road Through Ephesus... Special Responsibilities Ephesians 3:2

It's going to be hot this week.  By the weekend it could be up close to 100 degrees.  However, as I write this I am wearing a sweatshirt because the air is on at school and I'm cold.  So the question is, how do I dress for 90+ degrees and really cold A/C?  The answer:  There is no good option.  Layering only works so well.

But anyway... enough of my complaining.  Now that we've started this Ephesians study back up as of yesterday, are you ready to jump back in today?

I'm going to pretend that you answered yes.  Because even if you answered no, I'm still going to keep typing.

Here's our verse for today:

Ephesians 3:2

"assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles."

I feel like Paul is being rather sarcastic here.  That phrase, "assuming, by the way,..." seems like the church in Ephesus should know this, but something about them is telling Paul that they don't.  I don't know.  Maybe it's just me.  But in almost every version I read I get the impression of sarcasm.  Read this verse in a few different versions and see if you get the same impression.

When Paul starts this verse, I can see him remembering.  He's doing what we talked about yesterday.  Reminding himself and the Gentiles why he's in their lives.  And that it's God's grace that does all the work.  But that's not what I want to focus on here.  There's a specific phrase that really jumped out at me as I was reading this.

"...the special responsibility..."

The Gentiles were part of Paul's special responsibility.  I think we each have special responsibilities.  God has made each of us unique and with special gifts and talents.  We each have specific and special responsibilities in God's family.  If we were all the same, nothing would ever get done and I have a hard time imagining many people coming to Christ if we all tried to be just one part of the body or family.

I think we can often get jealous of the special responsibilities other people have too.  Somehow everyone else's "specialness", seems more special than ours.  But God has uniquely given you a special responsibility too.  Maybe it's to reach your friend and bring them closer to Jesus.  That may be something only you can do.  Maybe it's to write a blog entry that touches someone's heart with the words God gave you.  Maybe it's to snap a photograph that somehow portrays God's glory and splendor. Maybe it's something else.


Whatever it is, it is YOUR responsibility.

And if you are envying someone else's responsibility, then you are wasting your own.

What is your special responsibility?  What has God purposefully gifted you for?  What can you do that no one else can do just like you?

Start doing it.