Ephesians // Dealing with Discouragement

In the first half of Ephesians 3, Paul is telling us that whatever hardships we face as a result of obedience to Christ, we face as a prisoner of Christ, not as a victim of circumstance. See, Paul was so thrilled about the gospel that not even a prison cell could keep him from moving the mission forward. He understood God’s perspective and purpose in his imprisonment.  If we grasp the enormity of the grace we’ve been given through what Jesus did for us, it allows us to surrender our will for God's will, and like Paul, our circumstances may throw us, but they will never crush us.