The Hope to Which God Has Called You
Scripture — Ephesians 1:17-20 (NRSV)
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.
Focus
In Ephesians 1 Paul does not exhort us to be hopeful. Rather, he prays that God will enable us to know the hope that is already ours in Christ. Genuine hope is a gift of God and a response to God’s gracious calling.
Devotion
God has called you to hope. Did you know that?
Most Christians think of God’s calling in terms of the work God has for us to do, whether in our professional life, our participation in the church’s mission, or our family. We may also understand God’s calling as an invitation to know and serve the God who loves us. But are we called to hope? This, I would suggest, is not intuitive for most Christians. Yet, according to Ephesians 1:18, it is an essential aspect of our life in Christ.
In Ephesians 1, Paul prays that those who read his letter will receive from God “a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him” (1:17). Then Paul asks that, in addition to knowing God better, we might also know “the hope to which he has called [us],” “the riches of his glorious inheritance,” and “the immeasurable greatness of his power” (1:18-19).
There you have it. We should know the hope to which God has called us. But what does this actually mean?
The phrase rendered by the NRSV as “the hope to which he has called you” reads more literally, “the hope of [God’s] calling.” Although Paul can elsewhere refer to “your calling” (4:4), here he emphasizes that the calling belongs to God. We have a calling because God calls us. And the content of that calling points to a glorious future. Right now, we belong to God because God has called us. In the future, we will participate in the fullness of salvation, in the unifying of all things in Christ (1:10).
Thus, when we consider God’s calling, we respond with hope. Notice that our hope is not something we conjure up in ourselves through positive thinking or by trying to have a good attitude. Rather, it is our response to knowing God. It is our response to all that God has given to us and will give to us in Christ. Therefore, in Ephesians 1 Paul does not exhort us to be hopeful. Rather, he prays that God will enable us to know the hope that is already ours in Christ. Genuine hope is a gift of God and a response to God’s gracious calling.
Reflect
When did you first sense that God was calling you?
How do you respond to the idea that you are “called to hope”?
Act
Take some time to reflect on the future God has for you. What do you envision? How do you feel? How might your sense of the future make a difference in how you live today?
Pray
Gracious God, may I indeed know you better. May I know you as the one who has called me to belong to you and to participate in your salvation. When I reflect on how your salvation will one day redeem all of creation, including me, may I respond with hope.
In this season of Easter, may hope inspired by the resurrection fill my mind and heart. Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Called to Hope.
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...