Only through Christ Are We Made Complete
-
![]()
- Updated Mar 17, 2023
“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” (Ephesians 3:19).
“I need a mommy hug.”
The life of a mom with teen girls. If we take the time to get to know their hearts, text messages like that speak a novel about what’s going on in their world. At the turn of the knob I could already hear the muffled sounds of sadness. The dance bag which normally sits in its place on the shelf was strewn onto the counter, and the somber sting of the teenage world echoed down the stairs.
Dropping my bags, I raced up the stairs, and gave the door three gentle knocks. Daily, mommas are picking up the pieces of little girl hearts as they grow into a world which tears them down daily through a ring of comparison which threatens to squeeze the hope out of them. It’s our duty, in those moments, to remind them who, and Whose, they are.
“I get it,” I said to her, “I have felt that pain, and I still feel that pain sometimes.” Cue, momma hugs. They are bandages for broken hearts.
Paul’s prayer in his letter to the Ephesians speaks of who and Whose we are. He is passionate about getting through to the new churches being established, sifting through the pull of the world and the call of Christ:
“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 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. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how deep his love is. 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, though 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 through all generation forever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:14-19).
Applying Paul’s Prayer to Our Everyday Lives
1. Prayer
“I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth” (Ephesians 3:14).
When we find ourselves in moments of desperation, knees hit floors. Collapsing into the arms of our Savior is healing. So often we put up a fight based on what we know, when in reality giving the fight over to the One who guards our lives and defends our souls is the only way to escape the pain. From hurt feelings to damaged lives, the Lord hears and sees all of us.
2. Strength
“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit” (Ephesians 3:15).
Paul was praying from a place of experience! He knew the power of the Spirit of God living in him, and he desired for all who read his letter to grab hold of it, too! Life within the love of Christ means we walk with the Living God living in us. The Lord is not limited. So often we pray what we can conceptualize, but fail to leave room for miracles. We can pray as big as we are called to live, and trust the Lord to provide the strength we need to stand up under the crosses we bear.
3. Trust
“Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him” (Ephesians 3:16).
Trust means letting go. In every stage of parenting, there is a process of letting go. As children learn to do things on their own, they must have a responsible amount of space to make mistakes, for that’s where the real wisdom is planted. We were all created to crave more of God, and as we let go and trust Him with our lives, “Christ will make His home in our hearts.” What a beautiful picture, and perfect description of what it feels like to live our daily lives within His love. Not by or for our will, but for His glory.
4. Grow
“Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong” (Ephesians 3:17).
Seeds of Truth are watered by seeking the Lord in our daily lives. “Never stop praying,” Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “Be joyful always.” These seeds of Truth are watered when we seek the Lord’s strength to live them out in our lives. Roots firmly plant into our hearts as we trust and obey God, and experience His blessings. Life isn’t promised to be easy for us – but it will be full.
5. Love
“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how deep his love is” (Ephesians 3:18).
There is no greater love in the universe than the love of the Father for us. He gave His only Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice to save us. The love of God peels back like layers of an onion throughout our lives. In every season, through all things, the love of the Lord is present and active in our lives. Even when we are not seeking Him, He loves us, patiently waiting for us to turn to Him.
6. Jesus
“May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully” (Ephesians 3:19a).
The blog I began when my daughters were born was an attempt to capture the love I felt for them as a new mom. No matter how many experiences we record or journal, the Lord continues to litter our lives with miracles and blessings which can only be understood and explained by knowing who He is. Love is who He is. Christ, fully God and fully man, is the illustration of God’s love. Christ walked obediently to the cross out of His love for us.
7. Life to the Full
“Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Ephesians 3:19b).
Jesus died so we could have life to the full. When we let the enemy distract us, we allow him to steal our agenda. Hearts full of the love of the Lord cannot lose. Full life isn’t depicted on TV or in movies, it lives in the hearts of the children of God.
Paul ended his prayer:
“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 3:20-21).
We all fall victim to comparison, just as our teenage daughters and sons do. Sin isn’t something we can escape in this world. The deceit and distraction of our enemy is constantly hounding us. But our lives were not meant to be lived in fear, doubt, or insecurities. When we recognize those thoughts for what they are, we can then fall to our knees in prayer to God for the help we need to overcome the tendency to give into to them. When we earnestly seek God, we will find Him.
More from this author
What It Looks Like to Have a Pure Heart
God Is Not Surprised by Our Unexpected Messes
Why Did God Give Us the Law?
Photo credit: Unsplash/Radu Florin
