"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" I John 3:1 (TNIV)
That's why Paul's prayer for the Ephesians (the church who had everything going for it) was, "I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know (by experience*) this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19 (TNIV)
For a long time now I've been mesmerized by the thought of being "filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." What must that be like? It must be possible if Paul is praying it for the Ephesians. But it's not possible by any other means then growing in our experience of God's love. You can't behave well enough, pray enough, go to church enough, give enough money or serve enough.
So maybe we can help each other grow in our experience of God's love by sharing how it is that you experience the love of the Father. Somehow God's brought me to a place where all I have to do is think about him or read a bible verse about his love or sing a love song and I feel wrapped up in His love all over again. I'm going to have think for a while about how I first started experiencing God's love. What about you?
*Italics mine
Very true. Sometimes knowing the first experience of God's love in our lives helps us to receive current love even better. I bet if we just think about the points in our lives where we see God's blessing and His love on us, we'll start to recognize it more and more. For me, every time I get a parking place close to the door of a store, I recognize that it's just God wanting to bless me and pour His love on me. Perhaps this is why I get that spot so often.
ReplyDeleteWhat great love indeed.
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