glorious living

Hey, so I moved to California today.

Oh yea, I read some Ephesians the other day, and I like it.

"It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we're living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and god our hopes up, He had His eyes on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of th eoverall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone." (Eph 1:11-12 "The Message")

I don't usually use The Message as an accurate source, but I really love the phrase glorious living. But, I wanted to define it. It sounds good, glorious living, but what does that mean for me?

Maybe glorious living for a painter is getting a bunch of bearded men in Mormon-dominant Utah to pose as Jesus and the disciples (This American Life). Maybe it is giving away everything God has provided for you and living in a tent, or maybe not. Maybe it is using less water, so your brothers and sisters have more. Maybe it is eating less, so your malnourished neighbors can live healthy lives. Or maybe it is something bigger than that, like quiting your accounting job and moving to India to open a necklace-making business so prostitutes can make a living a better way. Maybe something just as grand: keeping your accounting job and instead of buying coffee and netflix everyday you use the money to pay for groceries for the disabled widow down the street. Maybe glorious living is saying "sorry" or "I love you". Maybe it is listening and laughing. Maybe it is giving or a hug. or getting one.

Maybe it is all these things. or none. To me, glorious living is bringing shalom to the world in whatever way you can. There can't be a specific way because each person is so unique.

Just some thoughts that have been floating around in my mind lately that I wanted to spit out.