2/4/2020
2 Corinthians 5:14 “For the love of Christ
constraineth us.”
Am I overwhelmed by the love of Christ?
Does my life show an outpouring of the love I have received from Him?
Chambers states, ‘Paul says he is
overruled, overmastered, held in a vise, by the love of Christ. Very few of us
know what it means to be held in a grip by the love of God; we are held by the
constraint of our experiences only. “
Wow, such truth in those words! How many
times have I let circumstances rule the day? I am blown by the slightest breeze
this way and that, up and down either mountain top or valley. So consumed am I
by the minor trials of life that, instead of choosing joy, I let my spirit get
weary. Then one day, perspective hit me right between the eyes when a beautiful
lady from Rwanda briefly walked into my world. Eve was invited to speak to my
Sunday school class while in the States visiting dear friends of hers. She was
dressed in the most beautifully colored clothes I had ever seen, and the light
of the Holy Spirit radiated out of her. She was warm and friendly, greeting us and initially making small talk. After all the women had arrived Eve began
to share with us the compelling story of her life, and the shocking deep
tragedy she had suffered. This beautiful woman, so full of light, had been through
such horrible things that I could not even imagine. You could hear a pin drop
as she spoke, while tears streamed down many of her listeners’ faces. The power
of the Holy Spirit in our tiny room was both exhilarating and exhausting. This
amazing child of God could have turned from Him and been angry, and she did
struggle for a while and questioned. Yet after everything, she still felt the
overwhelming love of Christ. She lives her life in ministry, helping others
like her find that deep love of Jesus. She is wise, loving, trusted, warm, and
powerful; she is a warrior.
Recently Eve’s friend came back to our
class to share some letters with us. As I sat and listened, I could feel her
presence fill up the room once again. We were all deeply touched that she
wanted to share with us once again, even if just through the written word. After
she finished reading, her friend told a story of that time Eve had visited and
stayed with her and her husband. She awoke one morning and proclaimed she would
not be available that day. Her friend was amused and thought, “Well I wonder
where she’s going?” Turns out she was going to spend the day with the Lord.
Yes, that’s right, she was going to close herself up in the guest room and
spend the entire day with Jesus! Oh my heart! What a beautiful picture I have
in my mind of Eve praying and singing the day away in worship to her Savior.
She is not held by the constraints of her experiences, but instead is absolutely
constrained by Christ’s love!
Eve’s testimony was amazingly powerful, but the example of devotion, connection, and love for Jesus that emanated
from her was even more so.
Overwhelmed
– Big Daddy Weave
I am overwhelmed. What a lovely story.
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