Knowing & Growing
Ephesians 3:14-21 Knowing & Growing
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV)
God is the god of unlimited resources. As we read these verses we learn a few things about our God, our Father, including that he has named every family, that his glory is beyond all wealth, that his love goes beyond anything we can understand, and that God can do WAY more than we could ever ask for or think of. If you’ve ever thought of God as being small, these verses help us see that God is, in fact, limitless.
These verses help us to understand who God is, and are one way we learn more about him. On this Father’s Day, it is a powerful reminder that we have a heavenly Father who wants us to know who he is, and invites us to learn of his limitlessness. As we do, we also learn that we are called to be like our Father in heaven who is limitless (verse 17).
In what ways do we limit ourselves but expect God to have no limits? Do we limit God and only expect so much? God can do far more than we ask or think, according to Paul, but we often limit God to slightly more than we can do ourselves. Ever feel like you don’t measure up? Ever asked God for just a little more than you have now?
Verse 19 speaks of this heart issue a little bit, of how we see ourselves in light of how God sees us. It’s a bit of a paradox but it’s like holding a newborn child for the first time and realizing you now have more love for someone than you thought possible. As crazy as it sounds, God loves you more than that. It’s like being able to see every inch of all the oceans in the water at once, and understanding the sheer scope and size of all the water. God loves you more than that. God’s ask of us is that we seek to understand how deep, and how far, and how wide his love is for us, even though our minds are not capable. It really is mind blowing!
This perspective of the limitlessness of God is hard to get a hold of sometimes, but God our Father is patient with us. He strengthens our ability to grow in our relationship with him through his Spirit (verse 16). In this way, it is the Spirit who often nudges us to share in the limitlessness of God through our interactions with others.
Has God ever nudged you to share with a total stranger, even when it was probably the hardest thing in the world for you to do? Have you ever felt challenged to do something uncomfortable for God, who whispers in our ear to be generous with our love, time, and possessions?
God’s limitless love is within us, do you believe that? Do you realize you are like a pitcher, and that even when you feel empty, God fills you so you can pour out upon others?
It’s OK if you don’t feel that way yet. We are all still growing. You might not see the growth overnight, but this is a journey of growing with Christ in which he is constantly filling you up. Be encouraged today as you read these verses, recognize the limitlessness of God, learn to know him more, and see how he is growing you in this very moment. Keep pushing in to know God more so you can discover his love that goes beyond what we can understand. Know that you are loved by a Father who wants nothing more than to see his children grow to love others the way he loves you.
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV)
God is the god of unlimited resources. As we read these verses we learn a few things about our God, our Father, including that he has named every family, that his glory is beyond all wealth, that his love goes beyond anything we can understand, and that God can do WAY more than we could ever ask for or think of. If you’ve ever thought of God as being small, these verses help us see that God is, in fact, limitless.
These verses help us to understand who God is, and are one way we learn more about him. On this Father’s Day, it is a powerful reminder that we have a heavenly Father who wants us to know who he is, and invites us to learn of his limitlessness. As we do, we also learn that we are called to be like our Father in heaven who is limitless (verse 17).
In what ways do we limit ourselves but expect God to have no limits? Do we limit God and only expect so much? God can do far more than we ask or think, according to Paul, but we often limit God to slightly more than we can do ourselves. Ever feel like you don’t measure up? Ever asked God for just a little more than you have now?
Verse 19 speaks of this heart issue a little bit, of how we see ourselves in light of how God sees us. It’s a bit of a paradox but it’s like holding a newborn child for the first time and realizing you now have more love for someone than you thought possible. As crazy as it sounds, God loves you more than that. It’s like being able to see every inch of all the oceans in the water at once, and understanding the sheer scope and size of all the water. God loves you more than that. God’s ask of us is that we seek to understand how deep, and how far, and how wide his love is for us, even though our minds are not capable. It really is mind blowing!
This perspective of the limitlessness of God is hard to get a hold of sometimes, but God our Father is patient with us. He strengthens our ability to grow in our relationship with him through his Spirit (verse 16). In this way, it is the Spirit who often nudges us to share in the limitlessness of God through our interactions with others.
Has God ever nudged you to share with a total stranger, even when it was probably the hardest thing in the world for you to do? Have you ever felt challenged to do something uncomfortable for God, who whispers in our ear to be generous with our love, time, and possessions?
God’s limitless love is within us, do you believe that? Do you realize you are like a pitcher, and that even when you feel empty, God fills you so you can pour out upon others?
It’s OK if you don’t feel that way yet. We are all still growing. You might not see the growth overnight, but this is a journey of growing with Christ in which he is constantly filling you up. Be encouraged today as you read these verses, recognize the limitlessness of God, learn to know him more, and see how he is growing you in this very moment. Keep pushing in to know God more so you can discover his love that goes beyond what we can understand. Know that you are loved by a Father who wants nothing more than to see his children grow to love others the way he loves you.
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