Ephesians 3:17-19 ‘So that Christ may dwell
in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and
length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (ESV)
I would, if I could, save everyone. I would
do whatever it took to save a relative, a friend, a neighbor, or a stranger. If
I could pray “repent and yield to Jesus” for everyone, I know I would. That
would probably be easier than actually ministering or witnessing to them. I so
badly want others to know the love, mercy, and grace of Jesus. I want them to
know the peace that passes all understanding when life gets hard. My desire,
like most believers, is for all people to know that they are children of the Most
High, and thus find their value in Him. Seeing the pain of this world and of the
separation from God is difficult to bear.
So I pray.
Sadly, in the same way I cannot save others, I
cannot do the work of growing in faith for them either. I can pray for Jesus to
work in those areas of someone’s life that do not honor Him. Those same
sensitive or weak areas in life where the evil one can enter and manipulate is
where we need to do the most as spiritual warriors. There is no conquering evil
outside of God, and no stronger weapons to use than Holy Armor and the Sword of
the Spirit. 2 Peter 3:17-18: “Therefor, dear friends, since you have been
forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by error of
the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and
forever! Amen.”
There was a time, back before my illness
reared its ugly head, when I was still in my Christian infancy. I had walked
with God in some form all of my life, but I had not grown in my relationship with Him. I went to church, was involved
in ministry, and prayed in a lukewarm way, but when my faith was tested, I
failed. Instead of releasing all to God and trusting Him fully, I just kept
asking “why?” over and over. I felt unworthy and unloved. My faith had not
matured enough to withstand the storms of life, and I was experiencing a
category 5 hurricane. I duped myself into thinking I was in control, until it
was clear that I was not. I had to totally get to the end of myself before I
could submit fully to Jesus and release all to Him. This was a painful process,
but no one else could do it for me. I had to do the work myself, acting in full
faith that my Savior was there with His arms open wide, waiting for me to come.
I had to get into my Bible and absorb its truth and wisdom in a different way. I
had to learn how to pray without ceasing, be grateful through the pain, and rejoice
in the Lord. I had to decrease and have Christ increase in me. This process
will never be finished while I am on the earth, but I will keep vigilantly
growing in my relationship with Jesus; for He is my way, my truth, and my life.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray
without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you.”
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