Where Did All These Hats Come From?

"In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth" (Ephesians 1:8b-10)

You are all no doubt familiar with the expression "wearing many hats," beloved. My wife and I were reminiscing recently about all the jobs we held during the early years of our marriage as we tried to make ends meet. I recall specifically that I at one time or another drove a forklift loading building supplies, wore a badge as a security officer at a federal building, sold audio equipment at a discount chain, transported bulk mail to government agencies from a central federal mail room, crawled under houses as a termite exterminator, and delivered new cars in "dealer trades" for a local auto dealership. Hats? I've worn a few!

In our daily walk as Christians we encounter and get to know people from all walks of life. And these followers of Jesus are as varied and diverse in their backgrounds as are those "hats" that we have all worn at one time or another. Sometimes the diversity that exists among Christians seems so marked that we can easily wonder what the real purpose is behind it all! Or is there a single plan or objective?

The good news, beloved, is that there is such a plan, such a goal, such an objective! All this contrast, this diversity among us as believers works toward a common end. It narrows down toward a single objective. And no one has more eloquently or succinctly described this purpose than the apostle Paul in the opening words of his letter to the church in Ephesus. Note carefully here just a portion taken from the verses printed above:

"...with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ..."

Note closely the single word "administration." The Greek compound word oikonomia means literally "house plan" and is the source of our English word "economy." It refers to that moving of God in our lives through all that He is doing in directing us toward that ultimate purpose. That God definitely has a plan in mind that He is executing faithfully should be a source of tremendous comfort to every true believer today, especially the more "hats" you may be wearing right now.

And what is that "economy" that God is carrying out right now? Paul lets us know that it is the "summing up of all things in Christ." The Greek verb anakephalaioo means "bring together" in the sense of that one ultimate goal or purpose toward which the many and diverse threads of human life are moving. Just what is God up to? Where is He going with all of this mystery that we call "life"? Some would have you believe today that there is no such purpose, that we are all floating in a giant cosmic river of chance and coincidence. William Shakespeare, through his character Macbeth, declared that human history is nothing more than "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." But God has declared that human life is not insignificant, that it does move toward a divine end and that is the bringing together of all things in and for the exaltation and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. From this same Greek verb the noun kephale or "head" comes and that is how Paul describes Christ Himself today over His body, the Church (Ephesians 1:22). Thus, this "summing up" of all things in Christ is further to bring all things together under Him, that is, under His direct and eternal authority:

"Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).

Don't allow, then, the "diversity" of this life, the many "hats" you may have to wear, beloved, to cause you to lose sight of the one divine purpose toward which your life is moving. Indeed, the day will come when "every knee shall bow" and when "every tongue shall confess" that Jesus Christ is who He has always claimed to be, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And when God says "every tongue," He means quite literally every tongue! Every God-forsaking, Christ-rejecting, Christian-persecuting tongue of man shall have to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the real deal and that He rules forever over the affairs of mankind. Hallelujah!

Now go put your hat on and get busy with kingdom work, beloved! You're an essential part of the plan of the eternal God and the end is in sight!

Ron