“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
The problem with most of our relationships and the reason they are such a mess is that we mix up who and what we are made for. The ultimate relationship God designed us to enjoy is a relationship with him. But sin separated us from his holy presence, so Jesus cleared the way through his death and resurrection.
Too often, instead of worshiping God and making that relationship our main goal, we worship people and make an idol of their thoughts, attitudes, and feelings toward us. We expect from others that which only God can fulfill. Maybe your moods rise and fall based on your standing with other people. When that happens, this good gift from God is twisted.
People will never give you all that you thirst and hunger for. But ours is a God who redeems, and he desires to make things straight in our relationships. Even though they are difficult and even though we twist them, he desires that we receive this gift and earn how to love the people he has given us.
Reflect:
Contemplate Ephesians 3:16–19. In your experience, how does the strength and rootedness of your relationship with God impact your relationships with others?
Pray:
Consider, with God, ways you can prioritize your relationship with him above all other human relationships.
While we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
We’ve got little information on Jesus’ appearance and personality. But that’s the way God designed it.españolFrançais
How groups like Hillsong learned to let go of the literal in favor of creative collaboration.españolPortuguês
