“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 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 Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV)
“If you were to have told me last year that I would be sitting here, I would have thought you were crazy.” “My life has changed so much. If you had told me when I was a freshman what it would be like, I never would have believed it.”
These are quotes from two of our student leaders who made these comments during our weekend leaders’ planning retreat where we gathered to finalize plans for the new school year. Their lives have changed in ways they couldn’t have imagined because they began to grasp the breadth of God’s love, not only for themselves, but for the world as well. And they submitted to Him, stepping out of their comfort zones to be obedient to Him.
Both had plans for their lives—the typical plans of finishing their degrees and getting jobs in their respective fields. Both had attended church much of their lives and got involved with a campus ministry when they came to college, but their faith was on the fringe of their lives. Like so many, it was a part of their lives, but did not define them. And, as a result, they had little idea of what the Lord wanted and could do in their lives.
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is a powerful one and informs us of what is necessary for our lives to be truly transformed—far beyond what we could ever imagine. First, Christ must dwell in our hearts. The word “dwell” conveys a sense of permanency and primacy. Jesus must move in and establish permanent residency in our lives. He is not just dropping by for a visit; our lives are not just a place He spends the weekends. Second, we must realize the breadth of the Lord’s love for us. Child psychologists have long established that a child’s sense that he is loved is the key to growing into a healthy and secure adult. When we truly recognize the fullness of Christ’s love for us, we are able to trust Him when He calls us out of our comfort zones. For the two students, obeying His call to go to Uganda this summer was far from comfortable, but they trusted Him and their vision of the Kingdom was greatly expanded.
So many of us settle into life being guided by our expectations, or by those around us, be they our parents, our friends, or the culture in general. We fail to realize God has so much more for us if we are willing to trust Him.
Today, realize how much the Lord loves you. Give Him a permanent home in your life. Allow Him to direct your life. If you do, like these two students, you will be saying in years to come, “If you had told me…”
© Jim Musser 2014
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