At the time of writing this blog, I’m currently reading Robert S. McGee’s “The Search For Significance” at a pace so slow, the world might have GTA 6 before I finish. Seriously, I started the book April 9, 2026 and tonight — September 7, 2026 — I closed the book on page 156. That’s roughly one page per day. I have never read a book so slow but I think that’s the point. Let me explain.
A delicious meal. Time with a best friend or loved one. Building a model ship in a bottle. Disarming a bomb. How should you do these things? By taking your time and paying attention. Of all the books I’ve ever read, I have never taken this much time to savor-process-cherish-contemplate what I’m experiencing through words on a page. Frankly, I wish someone had given me the same warning of the late Scottish pastor John Duncan when handing out a copy of The Mortification of Sin to his students: prepare for the knife. Prepare for the spiritual surgery.
Because just reading this book isn’t enough, the author partnered with the Holy Spirit to create a workbook… that has more pages than the book. In the first few pages, McGee does an incredible job of setting the tone for the assessment questions ahead. It’s this section of Scripture I want us to slowly savor together.
Grab your bibles and turn to Ephesians 1:3-14 with me. We’re going to answer this question: what has God done for you and to you? Read slowly and with a heart of gratitude…
Given us every spiritual blessing…
Chose you before the foundation of the world…
Made you holy and blameless (because of Christ)…
Predestined (planned) to adopt you, revealing the kindness of His will…
Freely bestowed loved and grace on us…
Redeemed and forgiven us for all sins, revealing the riches of His grace…
Revealed to us the mystery of His will…
Received an inheritance from the God who works all things out according to His perfect will…
Sealed with the Holy Spirit after hearing and responding to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who himself is a pledge of the coming inheritance…
So often, I can be forgetful of all God has done for me. I bet that happens to you, too. Even Christians need reminding of the Gospel, reminding of the price paid on the cross, reminding of the promises made to us for this life and the one to come, reminding of the joy of our salvation.
Share this message with someone today. It might be the first time they hear this good news or it might be the reminder they need to continue “fighting the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).
