Treasure Christ

Consider Ephesians 3:14-21. I turned to that passage today to pray for my daughter and son-in-law as well as dear friends, both of whom are experiencing heartbreak over their sons.  As I read it over and over again, it came to mean more to me than ever before.

... I bow my knees before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that according to the riches of his glory
he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit
in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—
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 that surpasses knowledge, 
that you may be filled with all the fullness of God
Ephesians 3:14-19

It always bothered me that the prayer was for power through the Spirit so that Christ may dwell in hearts through faith. It seemed backwards to me because we generally "ask Jesus to come into our hearts" as part of the salvation prayer. But as I meditated on this passage today, I couldn't help but equate that with Matthew 6:21, 

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." 

Admittedly I know I should treasure Christ more than I do. We "accept Christ into our hearts" for salvation; we repent and accept his sacrifice for our sins. But to bring Him into our hearts where He is our treasure is different. 

According to these verses, the Spirit gives us the strength and power to treasure Jesus Christ in our hearts. And looking at Christ as my treasure puts a whole new slant on these verses. The whole passage has to do with love. Grounded in love. Comprehending love. Love that surpasses knowledge. 

And in our culture, seeking knowledge often trips up our young people who see secular knowledge as conflicting with biblical knowledge, who forget that God is the creator of all that we know. Too often facts and theory, truth and opinion, get confused.

So I began using these verses to pray for the parents of their wayward sons, but soon turned it into a prayer for those two young men. I pray that they will recognize God's love, that they will realize His love surpasses knowledge. When they—and we—begin to comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of this love, how can we not love Him back?

 We love because He first loved us
1 John 4:19
 
 And when we love Him back, we will want to please Him.

If you love me, you will keep My commandments.
John 14:15

And then the promise!
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly
than all that we ask or think,
according to the power at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.
Ephesians: 3:20-21
 
Oh, to remember that God is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think! Just what might God do for these young men as He works in their lives?! And for we who love Him? And for those who see the transformation that will take place in their lives. God will be glorified! Wow!

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