Ephesians 3:16-19 – 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 this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (NIV)

Recently, I began renovating a small cabin on our property. Everything needed doing from top to bottom. Sanding, filling, scrubbing, painting, and trim work were part of the redo. Everything had to be done in a certain order, and everything took time. The biggest challenge, which took the greatest time and patience, was the trim work. Painting the ceilings and the walls in the large open spaces was one thing. Painting the trim was another. Some of it was fairly straightforward, but much of it was around small window panes and fine corners. All of it bordered on already freshly painted walls or ceilings, so steady eye-hand co-ordination was a must so as not to be smearing paint.

As I laboured and sighed — which was often — it occurred to me that perhaps when I go through periods of feeling that nothing much is happening spiritually in my life or service for God, such feelings are an untruth. Perhaps God is simply working on the trim. After all, grasping the width and length and height and depth of the love of Christ so that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God is a humongous task.

The large problem areas of our lives are easily identified, and we often see God's work progressing there, but it's all those subtle inner changes — the trim work — that seem to need the most patience and time to be corrected and brought into line with the ways of Christ and His kingdom.

Perhaps today you are feeling that nothing much is happening spiritually in your life or service for God. If so, consider the ways of God and today's Scripture, and remember that the task of transformation and filling takes time and patience and skill, especially the trim work, which might just be where God is working on you right now.

Prayer: Father God, thank You that You are always at work in our lives, seeking to root and establish us in love that we might be a holy people able to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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