"You were all called to travel on the same road an in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of All, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness."
-Ephesians 4:4-6
The theme of unity in this verse is so obvious. And so is the presence of Christ. He is Master of every single circumstance, situation, and thing; without exception. Nothing is left as an outlier. He is OVER, THROUGH, IN absolutely everything. Whether we experience the darkness or the brightness of joy, Christ is totally present in our lives. He orchestrates everything into a beautiful harmony for His glory. And whether it is the messiness or the sweet melody that sticks out to us more in that particular moment, it is all permeated with Christ. It serves the purpose of drawing us deeper and deeper into His heart, into His love. God's desire for us to unite with fellow believers is so real. We can't do it alone, and He knows that! He desires for us to experience the authentic community that comes when we open our hearts to others who know Him and pursue Him with a whole heart.
Though I have never seen the ugliness of my wayward heart as clearly as I did a week ago (a long story better left for another time...), I have also never experienced the depth of Grace Christ offers, nor have I felt the reality of undeserved, unconditional love present in the authentic relationships He has given to me. After a night of darkness came several nights of heart-wrenching, tear-jerking honesty all of which were followed by "me too" moments sweeter than any metaphor or words I can even come up with right now. As I shared the less appealing parts of my life with the people who matter the most to me, I experienced the sweetness and sincerity of encouragement Christ's way. And I am overwhelmed with thankfulness, that spills over into tears of joy; that He has given me friends and family to be His hands and feet as they hold my hand through the reality of life. Ugly or beautiful, we're traveling on the "same road in the same direction", and Christ, in His wonderful goodness, is simultaneously leading every step and bringing up the rear.
Praise God that He never wastes a moment of our lives, no matter how much it hurts! Praise Him for His grace that NEVER runs out! Praise Him that He is truly present IN ALL THINGS!
Praise Him that no matter what we do, we will not be separated from the reality of His love!
"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how WIDE and LONG and HIGH and DEEP is the love of Christ, and to know that this love SURPASSES knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
-Ephesians 3:16-19
Delighting with you in the awesome grace and stunning love of Our Wonderful Savior,
Allison :)
No comments:
Post a Comment