How Residing in the “Heavenlies” Changes Our Perspective
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6
Lately I’ve allowed myself to get caught up in the muck. The sludge of negativity. Of anxiety and uncertainty. Of pride and selfishness.
I’ve become so consumed with all the chaos and noise around me, I’ve forgotten I was redeemed to rise above.
To remind myself of who I am, who I belong to, and therefore who’s sovereign over the big and little details of not just my life, but all of humanity overall.
I’m not a powerless, helpless orphan forced to navigate this harsh world on my own. I’m God’s beloved child, lavished with kindness by the One who has full authority of all things and is, at this moment working everything out in accordance with His perfect will. (Eph. 1:4-11).
Standing on those truths allows me to shift from reactionary living to empowered, courageous, and eternally impactful purpose.
To look beyond the problems and concerns of today to the victory of tomorrow.
One night, I visited a church spanning three stories accessed by steep stairs which children raced up and down. The younger ones, however, moved slowly, their much shorter legs greatly challenged.
One toddler in particular struggled with every step. Her father, holding her hand, watched her patiently, gently tugging her forward until he finally scooped her up to carry her the rest of the way.
From her new view, those stairs must’ve looked quite different, each one not quite so high, the climb no longer insurmountable.
This is the view our heavenly Father offers. He knows when our journey becomes exhausting and our climb feels never-ending, especially when we survey it from ground-level. But God wants us to shift our perspective. To remind us we’re not stuck in a deep ravine surrounded by towering mountains. We are, at this moment, raised with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realms.”
Notice, this is where we currently reside. May we choose to live in the reality of this standing.
Jennifer Slattery is a writer, editor, speaker, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries. She writes for Crosswalk, is a multipublished author of Hometown Healing among other titles who also writes articles, Bible studies, and devotions. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall outings with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Visit her online at jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com or book her for your next women’s event.
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