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. 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. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:19-21

Dear God, so experiencing your love as much as possible will “make me complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” So what do I need to do to experience your love?

I was talking to a friend lately about how she experiences a lot of shame about things. Some of the things she did. Some of them she didn’t or they weren’t her fault. But according to her she just carries shame. She told me about some things she did as a teenager about 30 years ago that still make her feel bad. Now she sees her own teenager doing a lot of the same things and she sees it from the adult’s perspective and it makes her feel even worse. In reading this passage, I suppose there is a level of accepting your love and grace that is part of experiencing it. She is repentant, so that’s not the last step. Repentance is the first step, but accepting the grace must be done as well.

Father, help me to fully embrace the grace you have for me and to then extend it to others. I read some comments online the other day about a piece on judging others and someone said, “Judge not lest he be judged. Fine. Judge me because I’m going to judge others.” How foolish. Father, please don’t judge me. Please forgive me. That is the cry of my heart. And then fill my vessel with love so that others might be drawn into your power.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen