Paul's Request, Part 2. Who is Leading Your Heart?

Now we enter into part 2 of the series. I am looking at Ephesians 3:14-19, and the prayer Paul offers for the church in Ephesus and us today. First Paul expressed his prayer that we would be strengthened in our inner self through the power of the Spirit. Next the pray moves to:

"I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love." Eph. 3:17 (CEB)

Over the past few weeks many of us might have been paying more attention to where and with whom we live. Other than the occasional walk, I have not really left my house in over three weeks, and it has been five weeks now that our entire household has been home nearly 24/7. I am so grateful to have a place to call home, and to have it contain enough space that we can each have our little corner of refuge when needed. At the same time having everyone home has meant learning some new rhythms coupled with new patience. All of a sudden we are not able to do what we want on the timetable we want to do it. Living together in this constant relationship requires adaptation and submitting to the greater good of the dwelling.

This brings me to the prayer asking Christ to live in our hearts through faith. It is by faith, not will, might, or determination, that Christ takes up residence in our heart. It will not be through having all the questions answered, or having all the conditions met. The faith is that Christ knows better how to run the household of my heart than I do, especially when I do not see things the way Jesus does. By faith I invite Jesus to move into my heart and allow my normal functions to be disrupted. Christ living in my heart means I do not always get to do things my way.

How is any of this possible? That too is part of Paul's prayer. Christ living in my heart is a result of having strong roots in love. Other translations have used the language of being deeply rooted in love. Okay, so that is clear, we just need to have strong roots of love and we are all good. After all wasn't it the Beatles who sang, "All you need is love." Perhaps having strong roots is not as easy as we often make out to be in this day and age. I have heard it said many time we need to let love lead the way, or that we as the church must be more loving. I do not disagree with either of those statements. Only, they do not seem complete, there needs to be more deeper conversation about love.

Love has come to be equated with permission. The highest form of love in our current culture is to permit someone to live their life however they see fit, as long as it does not restrict another person's pursuit of how they would life their life. Essentially the only unloving action left in our culture is to say or suggest that someone might be pursuing a life that will forfeit the fullness God has for them. It seems we have reached the place where we as people have become the arbiters of love rather than allowing Christ to determine the condition of our heart.

That is the connection I see in what Paul shares. If we are strongly rooted in love, it is not love that comes from human perspective. It is not love that says live however you want. It is not love that says you must live the way I say. Strongly rooted, deeply rooted love, is the love that says I have faith that Jesus knows better than I do how to run my life. This type of love has enough faith in Jesus to allow Jesus to do the work in my heart that is needed for me to experience immeasurably more than I could every ask or imagine (nod to Eph. 3:20). Perhaps rather than let love lead, we need to let Jesus lead, and that leading with strongly root us in love, and then Christ will live in our hearts by faith?