It's Not What You Think

"having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,What are the riches of this glorious inheritance?" Ephesians 1:18

Its not wealth. There is too much disparity and poverty in this life among true believers to regard wealth within this statement. If God is promising wealth then he is truly a capricious God, dolling out money to his favorites.

It's not possessions. If it were what we have would only be matched by our greed for more. We have more in our culture, not because it is a promise of God but because we pursue it as an end, and that is why only a few have all the toys and many are in debt.

It's not position. I hear from so many that they work in jobs by necessity rather then passion. Its easy to say "find something your passionate about a go for it" when you have bills to pay, or your too old, too ugly, too etc.

Its not power. Most of the time I feel powerless. Powerless to change the political landscape, powerless over my circumstances, powerless over my finances, powerless to even change me (the same things I have wrestled with for ever seem to rear their ugly heads all the time).

It's not health. As much as I want to believe sickness away there are too many who get sick and die to accept that health is the promise of this glorious inheritance.

We can pray for all these things, and we might stumble upon them, but that doesn't make them a part of this glorious inheritance.

The world (Christian world) might offer these things as a reward for faithfulness but too many who have been faithful lived their whole lives without them.

We work, we pray, we wish for these things at one time or another only to find the sand slipping through our fingers. All the while Paul prays for the Ephesians that the eyes of their hearts might be enlighten to understand the riches of this glorious inheritance. 

If the inheritance is any of the above, why must my heart be enlightened? Would I not know it if I had it? Or is it because this glorious inheritance is something different altogether, something not of this world, something that I inherit but doesn't make me rich in the eyes of the world.

At the end of this audaciously long sentence, plus one, is chapter 2 verse 1, "and you were dead in your trespasses and sins, as you once walked."

Wealth may come or it may not. Power may arise or remain trampled. Health will last only for so long. Position is fleeting.

The riches of my inheritance is what Christ bought on the cross, that I might not walk in my trespasses and sin any longer. That is the glorious nature of my inheritance.

Whether God promises or answers prayers for all or any of the above is up for debate. But the bedrock of our inheritance is Christ. 

If for nothing else, but for this glorious inheritance will I be thankful today.  I'm just saying...