Our Heavenly Father has a plan for the entire universe, and we’re a very important part of it. Ephesians 1:9-10(NLT) tells us, “9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.” Learning of God’s plan is the most extraordinary piece of knowledge that any of us could ever hope to obtain, but sadly, most of us don’t feel this way. Human beings are creatures of habit. We focus primarily on what’s directly in front of us. We get into our routines, and vehemently stick to them. I would venture to say that 95% of the world operates this way, and most will never know how much it can injure their faith.
Some of our everyday routines are productive and orderly, others may be more random and lack organization all together. Either way, no matter how spontaneous we believe ourselves to be we’re glued to them. In order to grow in Christ, we will have to step outside our comfort zones, and this kind of change makes many of us uncomfortable.
When we’re preoccupied with routines and sameness, our perception of life is very lateral, and we don’t look up. Becoming stuck in this place means that we begin to see ourselves very small and insignificant to God’s plan, and our faith mirrors this. We focus on our plans and the small things we’re trying to make happen, but we don’t focus on God’s plan, and focusing on God’s plan is the whole reason we’re here on this earth. In other words, most of us operate within the confines of the familiar and remain within the boundaries of what we know. In our society, living outside the box is often championed. We love the idea of it, but most of us don’t dare try it.
Jesus Christ said in Luke 14:27(NLT), “And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.” Living outside the box is living in Christ. It’s an out of the box mentality, where we’re constantly looking to God for His guidance and direction. This requires faith, and faith often demolishes our old routines.
God commands us to be constantly abounding in Christ, constantly growing in him as we learn new things about his example and character. Colossians 1:15(NLT) declares, “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation.” Christ is fully human and fully God. He is everything God created humans to be. He is the blueprint of our design, and he walked upon this earth doing, thinking, speaking, and feeling as God in human form.
Romans 8:29(NLT) tells us, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” This is our destiny, but we cannot become what we don’t know. The only way to walk in our destinies is to know more about Christ so we can become like him.
When it comes to the extraordinary plan of God in Ephesians 1:9-10, many people think of it as being far away, somewhere way off in the distance. God’s Word teaches us that this is hardly ever an acceptable way of thinking. We are in Christ as God’s children, this means that we have received the gift of eternal life, and because we are living in Christ, we are living in eternity at this very moment. Faith in God requires that we break out of our old molds. Old routines should be replaced with those that make prayer each morning a must. We must pray to be led by God through His Holy Spirit, and this means we must be flexible to the Spirit’s promptings, and His promptings may not always be aligned with what we think should happen.
Lamentations 3:23 tells us that God is faithful; He can be trusted and counted on, and His mercies are new every morning. Faith requires us to look up to God and to recognize that He’s the Leader, and we’re the followers. This kind of faith in Him demands humility and obedience. We must keep our eyes on the prize of Ephesians 1:9-10, and not be knocked off the path by the distractions of that old life. We are new creatures in Christ, and this means that change and increase according to God’s plan becomes the norm.
In Ephesians 1:9-10, God has revealed to us the great mystery of His Will. The mystery He is referring to is not what we consider a “Who done it!” God’s mystery is something He has not revealed in the millions of years prior to the point in which He reveals it in His Word. This means that until He gave the revelation and inspiration for His plan to be revealed, it was not known. It cannot be known through human intuition, knowledge, or wisdom. Only God could conceal it, and only God can reveal it.
At God’s timing, He will bring everything together under Christ. This includes us, in fact, we’re a major component of this. Our Heavenly Father revealed His plans according to His perfect timing. He let us know at just the right time exactly what’s happening behind the scenes. Even though it may appear to us to be happening very slowly, details and components are coming together. Romans 8:28 tells us that He is causing all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Everything that is happening today and everyone that is living is heading towards the point where God will utterly defeat evil, and all things and everyone will be under the authority of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
He’s revealed this information to us, His children of light, so that we will not get caught up in the entanglements of the world. There’s really crazy stuff happening everywhere. A small amount of it is entertaining, but most of it is constructed to distract our attention and to keep us separated from an intimate relationship with God. It is meant to keep us stuck within the boundaries of routines and sameness, so that we will not have faith in God, so that we will not seek to live outside the box, which is to live in Christ.
We may be tempted to think that God is moving at a slow pace, but this is not an accurate way of thinking. 2Peter 3:9(NLT) says, “The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” God is not being slow about the fulfillment of His Will and Plan. He’s being patient. It has taken thousands of years for us to believe in what we cannot see, to believe in God and to believe in His resurrection power.
Most think it’s just too supernatural, too spiritual, too fantastical to believe that in these last days, God is doing everything He said He would. Every prophecy in His Word has come to pass. Ephesians 1:11(NLT) states, “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” The appropriate mindset that this verse introduces is one of stability and faith, no matter what is happening around us. Because of the truth that God has made it possible for us to be united with Christ, we share an inheritance with him. This is good news indeed!
Life as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is a ‘break out of the mold’ kind of existence. God is continually prompting us to look up, to seek Him first in all things, because this must be done to invite His healing and love into our conditions and circumstances. We have to wake up and recognize that He’s planned so much more for His children than this earth experience. This planet is our dressing room. We are here to prove our love and obedience to God, and to humble ourselves under His sovereignty and power. We must learn to do this now, so that we can be included in the continuation of His wondrous plan.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Break Out of Your Old Mold”, written by Vince Mack. Blessing Beads and More© 2022. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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