“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead.” —Ephesians 1:18–20
A few years ago I had the pleasure of visiting Tinago Falls near Iligan City in the Philippines. It was a joy to view this wonderful tourist attraction, hidden in a deep ravine.
After admiring the falls, I stopped at a bathroom just a few meters away from the river bank. The bathroom was quite filthy and had no running water.
The irony was striking. There was plenty of free-flowing water in a river just a few steps away, but the bathroom had no connection to it!
I think that sometimes we approach the resurrection of Jesus Christ in a similar way.
The resurrection is the most significant and transforming event in all of human history. Two other things are almost as amazing: God has made the same incomparably great power that raised Christ from the dead available to us who believe, and we believers often decline the offer!
Every time we act as if our problems are bigger than God, every time we rely on ourselves to solve our problems, and every time we fail to pray diligently before making an important decision, we are in effect declining to receive God’s immeasurable power for our lives.
Today’s world faces many problems at all levels, from family strife to international conflict. Violence, drug abuse, and despair are present all over the world. The only lasting response is to appropriate the power of Christ’s resurrection for our personal and family lives, our community, our country, and our world.
As we celebrate this Easter season, may we open ourselves to letting the reality of the resurrection redefine how we view and engage with our world, every day. And may we live in such a way that our friends and neighbors will recognize Jesus Christ as the connection to God who can change their lives forever.
Bp Efraim Tendero
Secretary General
World Evangelical Alliance
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