Lord, give us a song to guide our feet, as we’re marching toward freedom land. Give us love to guide our mouths, as we lead others in Your great path. Use our hands and feet in the rhythms of Your grace. Amen.

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:1-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

God is the great gift giver, the Repurposer of human hearts. He opens us up to a life beyond human expectation, and provides for that life from the richness of His glory. How can we ever feel ill-fit or under supplied when we walk with Him. Steps of faith require a waiting for His provision, but they are also done in confidence that He will do what He has said He will do. God is not fickle like we are. He doesn’t change His mind or His nature to suit the whims of the day. He is solid and secure, the rock of our salvation, the fortress for our souls, the bedrock of all faith & wisdom and knowledge. He is unchanging and unchangable. We can be secure in Him. We can grow in Him. We can abide in faith.

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

So, in His great gift to us, He has exceeded our need. In His great gift to us, He has opened up the heavens. This is no small thing, no withheld bounty. The wealth and riches of the love of God were on display on the cross and in the empty tomb. 

We would never receive a gift from an earthly king and treat it like is was no big deal. If we were given an award by the president, even if we don’t like the president, there would be a reaction in our heart that betrayed that inclination. Everyone likes to be recognized. Everyone likes to be appreciated. Everyone likes to be loved. Even introverts.

So, when God blesses us in Christ, we will find that there is no need to dismiss that blessing. There is no need to push that gift away, or put it on a shelf, or act like we’re offending someone by exhibiting it publicly. If you won a medal of valor, people would expect you to wear it. We wear the markings of Christ’s valor, and so we should proudly wear that in His Name. With that Name, and in being clothed in Him, we find ourselves blessed with an array of gifts, a wealth of investment from the One who redeems us, saving us from ourselves.

We were captives, held, bound, destined for punishment and death. We now stand free, released and brought through love into a new life. In this way, then, we are brought into His presence and commissioned to serve Him now, within the will of the Father. We have been blessed to be a blessing, over and over and over again. This is why we are gifted. This is the work of our life. 

And so we seek out those who still need to be released. We seek out the captive, the blind and the oppressed. We look for those who are still in bondage, bolt-cutters of the Gospel in our hands. We echo Jesus, who spoke of Hsi purpose and the fulfillment of Scripture in that synagogue in Nazareth when He quoted Isaiah’s prophecy from 400 years before. It was time to free the captive, to return sight to the blind. He was here to see the work of God brought to fruition in their lives, and we echo that same work today. 

God’s glory and joy can be clearly seen in this: 

“Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭52:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬ 

His desire is to free us. His heart is for freedom, to claim a people for His purpose, for His glory. And so He gifts us to bring that same message to others who desperately need Him. Christ, our center. Christ, our bond. Christ, our heart. Christ, our love. We are called to something more in the rhythms of His grace. We are called to new life, gifted to live it. Gifted to serve others in His Name.