Last summer brought me immense joy as my son, Mark, married a wonderful young woman of faith. Our family played many roles in their wedding; my husband officiated, Mark’s twin was his best man, and our other sons were groomsmen. My role? To watch with a full heart and happy tears, and then to share the mother-son dance. When Mark asked for my song choice, I immediately said, “I Hope You Dance,” by Lee Ann Womack.
Among my four sons, Mark and I are most alike; adventurous yet thoughtful, capable, and composed. As we danced, I told him how much I loved him and how deeply I wished for him to live fully in the freedom God offers. The song’s lyrics resonated deeply: “I hope you never lose your sense of wonder… never fear those mountains in the distance… when you get the choice to sit it out or dance… dance.” As his mother, my deepest desire is for Mark to experience the liberating truth of being God’s child – loved, forgiven, chosen, redeemed, blessed, and holy.
My hopes and dreams for my children mirror those of most parents. If we, as imperfect humans, hold such profound longings for our kids, how much greater is the desire of our perfect, holy Father in Heaven for us?
Take a moment to slowly read Ephesians 1:3-14, paying attention to the words God uses to describe YOU, His precious child. Which words stand out? Do you recognize God’s immense love, His boundless grace, and His deliberate choice of YOU? Do you live as though you believe it?
Verses 11 and 12 in the Message translation put it this way: “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.”
The powerful phrase “in Christ” or “in Him” appears eight times in just these twelve verses. We are designed to live freely in Christ as God’s chosen ones! What an incredible truth to embrace.
This week, choose one word from Ephesians 1:3-14 that speaks to you. Ask God to help you truly believe this truth and to live it out in your life. He hopes you dance!
