Ephesians 3:16-19(NLT)
“16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
God wants the love of Jesus Christ to be deeply rooted in our hearts. He expresses this desire for us through the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:16-19(NLT). When the love of Christ is deeply rooted, it takes a position of lordship and governance and allows us to love from the purest place within. This is a love that is strong and does not fade or wilt when the storms of life rage. It doesn’t collapse when the target of its affection doesn’t return it. When the love of Christ is deeply rooted in our lives, it rules over all our choices and decisions. It gives us the depth and width to look beyond a person’s temporary shortcomings and see the person they will become when they, themselves, are more rooted and grounded in Christ.
Without the love of Christ being rooted and grounded in our hearts, we make hasty decisions and choices, and do so without consulting God first. We seek to control rather than allowing the peace of God which passes all understanding to anchor us in His goodness. We begin to see our relationships with individuals as a fix for the voids in our inner being, when this is something they can never be. We see them as nourishment for our souls, instead of seeing God as the Source of all good things; only His goodness can nourish our souls. Without the love of Christ being rooted and grounded in our hearts, we have no glue of which to hold ourselves together, and therefore, cannot possibly hold a relationship together.
The gap that separates us from what we want is often the gap of understanding in our minds and hearts about what we need. We think that we need the man to fill up our hearts, when actually we need to strengthen our love for Christ so that it fills us up. Ephesians 1:20 tells us that God has seated Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, at His right hand. God has placed him far above ALL principality, power, might, and dominion. Christ is above EVERY name, not only in this age, but in those to come. God has placed none higher in His Kingdom than Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:22-23(NLT) tells us, “22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.” We are to know the love of Christ so that we can be filled with all the fullness of God. This is God’s goal, and nothing will work out unless God’s goal becomes our goal.
Through the love of Christ, we are equipped for the ministry of wives, as well as any other ministry of which God has called us to carry forth. When we lose connection to the head, which is Christ, the whole body is in chaos, and this is the state of many relationships today. God has given you and me the authority and power of Christ. It must be used by knowing the truth of His Word. It’s the love of Christ that holds a relationship together, and we must pray that it is anchored in our hearts before we start praying for any other thing. God’s love must be the priority.
The gap between us and what we desire most must be filled by the knowledge of Jesus Christ. His love must be rooted down deep in us. There are many sisters praying that God will bless them with a husband, but their hearts are far from God. Heavenly Father is so incredibly loving and kind, but He cannot be fooled. God rewards diligence. He rewards our desire and commitment to line up with His Word.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“The Gap that Separates You from What You Desire”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.