For we live by faith, not by sight.
-2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
It seems lately that I hear a lot of people say, “At the end of the day…”. The frequency of this statement seems to add a level of credence to what comes after this statement. It can sometimes be challenging to interpret the meaning of “at the end of the day” and more complex based on who is saying it. What I tend to believe this statement to say is after a hard day of work, this is what we hope to have accomplished. What I find interesting is no one says, “at the beginning of the day…” In Ephesians 4, I have to believe Paul encourages us to say both.
The template for the Christian life is to boldly walk with purpose. Taking the steps to gain more knowledge and understanding of God’s Word. It’s about discerning the path God has called you to navigate. The purpose is more important than pace, but it is not wise to become lazy. God expects us to walk humbly and carry a disciplined stick. We are surrounded by people and situations that can benefit from our caring and love. For those who struggle to believe they are made of “the right stuff”, think again. The path that leads you here, carries you there. God is as present today as He has been “at the end of the day” forever.
Even if you don’t belong to a church or don’t feel you have a viable outlet, you still have the gifts that God and Christ blessed you with. Sometimes, we exercise these gifts without thinking – helping someone at the grocery store or complimenting someone’s appearance at the bank. Be nice, and be kind may be our mantra. But Paul is reminding us that our intentionality of matching our gifts with the world’s needs is more powerful than we might expect. It might be a stretch to believe we are modern-day disciples or prophets. Reading about them in the Bible creates an image of people with a higher social status or seen as preferential towards God. Sure, they played their part with the gifts they were given.
We don’t need to wear a name badge that says, “disciple” or “prophet” to lead with our hearts. The world doesn’t need more titles or social influencers. God calls us to the “influenced”. The ones who benefit from our generosity and spirit. To the people who “at the end of the day” can pronounce that their lives are better because we connected.
We, Christians, are like the caterpillars transforming into butterflies. We are instructed to shed the old parts of ourselves that no longer serve us, and create the new aspects of Christ in serving God. The more we practice the art of human metamorphosis, the easier it becomes. Because “at the end of the day”, we fulfill the promises of God one encounter at a time.