“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God,…..” Ephesians 1:1
I saw this verse with new eyes yesterday.
I had been jumping past the middle phrase.
Suddenly, I saw that the middle phrase, “an apostle of Christ Jesus,” was being done by the will of God.
Paul was recognizing from the get-go that his being an apostle required that he function within God’s will as he did it.
I have a ton of family relationships. I’m a father, grandfather, husband, father-in-law, uncle, brother, etc…
What if I started the verse with my name (Peter) and then inserted the family relationship into the middle space? “Peter, the husband of Julie, by the will of God..”
That personalizes the verse. It reminds me that the relationship I have to my wife must go forward in the Lord’s will.
God has put me in the position of being a husband and I must realize the responsibility and my need to seek His guidance.
When it comes to work, I can insert my job into the middle phrase. “Peter, a driving instructor, by the will of God..”
It centers me on the thought that whatever I do, I am chasing His guidance and mindful that I represent Him at work.
Try personalizing your own situation using Ephesians 1:1.
His Word For Me 