How wide and long and high and deep.

Many people have grown up in the church and have failed to experience the love of God.  Many people say the right things; do the right things; believe the right things and remain empty.  For some time now, I have tried to pinpoint what it is in those who hold unswervingly to their relationship with God.  It is certainly not that they always make the right decisions or that they always do the right things—they actually don’t.  Perhaps it is that they are always in love with Christ. 

Those in my life that seem wholly committed to God have vastly different relationships with God and likely believe vastly different things.  Yet, there is one thing in common: a heart committed to knowing Christ.  I cannot help but think that these people—in their response to God’s love—have sought to know God more.  And, as they grew in their knowledge of God, they understood and experienced God’s love more.  And once they experienced and knew the love of God, they could do nothing but love God back. 

I want this for you.   

To know God is to love God.  When you have experienced genuinely knowing God, you have experienced knowing His love, and you can do nothing but love God back.  Our God is the kind of love that often leaves you fumbling for words, so you whisper thank You.  The kind of love that has done everything already for you; has nothing to gain; has nothing it needs.  The kind of love that is scandalous because it pervades the deepest darkest wrinkles of your heart where others and even you will not trod.  The kind of love that wants you as you are but loves you too much to leave you there.  The kind of love that is not premised on emotion.  The kind of love that exists even when you do not feel it—that you have experienced far too many times to deny. 

Too often we have glibly acknowledged what happened on the cross, and we have failed to seek a deeper knowledge of God.  And, we have failed to be transformed.  Too often we have let misrepresentations of Christ define our experience of God’s love and our love for God.  We must go directly to the source.  Praise God for His love that is in Christ Jesus.  I implore you to experience it.  I implore you to respond to it.  And, I promise you will not remain unchanged.   

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.” (1 John 4:16 NIV).

 “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.” (Ephesians 3: 18, 19 NIV) (emphasis added).

 “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 NIV).

Today is a coffee-that-is-black-enough-to-put-hair-on-your-chest-kind-of-day.  You see, we do not want a repeat of yesterday.  Yesterday, I was so tired that I got dressed in the dark.   After class, my husband informed me that my fly was wide open.  And now you understand why.

Much love to you always,

Paige