Today's Meditation
Read Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Again, this is one of my favorite passages. It is so rich in description. Let's break it down to its individual parts:
Paul bows down on his knees in prayer.
This is always a good model for our prayer life. That we approach God in a attitude of submission; petitioning God in humbleness and listening to God's word to us.
Paul asks God to grant us strength (with power) in our inner being through the Holy Spirit.
It is important for us to be inwardly strong, to stand up to tests of character and integrity, to persevere in the face of oppression, persecution, trials. We can only do that through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Without the Spirit, there is a limit to what we can bear. Our personal reserves can only handle so much, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, all things are possible.
Paul prays that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, as we are rooted and grounded in love.
Love is the ultimate test of Christ's character in our lives. In all things we must show love. It is through that love that Christ is made manifest in the world. All other actions, motivations, emotions that we hold against others are not Christ made perfect in our lives. Love is the foundation that holds us firmly in God's embrace.
Paul prays that we might be able to comprehend what is the breadth, length, height, and depth of God so that we may be filled with the fullness of God.
Personally, I perceive the capacity of this in very limited nanoseconds. I acknowledge my finite understanding and comprehension in this, but there are indeed moments when I am overcome by the fullness of God. They come at sunset and sunrise. They come at the view of mountains, at the pounding of the ocean waves, the sight of a pod of dolphins or the chorus of birds in song, in the spectacular vision of a perfect snowflake, the contents of a drop of rain under the microscope. They come from pictures of the universe, the sight of the earth from space. They come at moments of complete and total submission to God in the midst of chaos. They come in witnessing others' joy, love, peace, and faith. In those fleeting moments, I catch a glimpse of the fullness of God and I am in awe at God's splendor.
Finally, Paul encourages us that through Christ we are able to accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine for the glory of the church to all generations.
This is our calling. This is why we, as a body, are the church. Not a building, but a people. And through that great and awesome love are able to accomplish the telling of God's story in our lives to all generations. That is the purpose of the church. And it is time for us to live up to that calling and BE THE CHURCH.
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