Tuesday's SOAP - Ephesians 3:14-21

¹⁴ When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, ¹⁵ the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.¹⁶ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷ Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

 ²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. ²¹ Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

S(cripture) - all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

O(bservation) - This is the text that has my phone alarm going off at 3:14. (Sometimes it goes off at some inopportune times but I truly try to stop and pray!) I pray that you would experience more and more of God's love. I pray your roots go down deep into God's love. You cannot bear fruit without love. The source of that love is Christ. Oh, you may be able to love for a season or "stay out of trouble" for a period. But in your own efforts, your love will dry up if not grafted onto the Source of love - the True Vine. This will require both private reflection (to let the silt settle) and a public walk that keeps you connected to Christ throughout your day. Are you able to love the unlovable? Do good to those who persecute you? Overcome evil with good?

When Christianity is demoted to the "just trying not to sin" life it falls far short of the hope that God offers us and the vision Paul writes of. Christianity is more than "be good" religion. It is power - the "power to understand love" - the power to love - the power of love.  God's mighty power is at work within us - offering infinitely more than we could dream for ourselves.  Are you living a marginal or victorious Kingdom life?

A(pplication) - What's your motivation for being good? doing good? For living the Kingdom life? Is it fear? John Wesley said there was only one requirement for joining in the Methodist societies: "a desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to be saved from their sins." But fear is only a starting point. Fear still keeps you at a distance from God. Fear does not invite intimacy. Fear can force us to our knees to repent and seek God's mercy, but it is there that mercy takes over - fear is replaced by love. So rather than running away from wrath, we now are drawn to love. This is what Paul was getting at. Paul should know - he spent his life working hard to earn God's favor, running the legalistic treadmill, but then grace broke through - grace that fueled Paul to write of inexpressible love while in prison - love that brightened his dark prison cell. Are you in prison? Is life dark? Do you live in fear? Perfect love casts out fear.

P(rayer) - Make this your prayer (and read the first few comments).

Amen.