…rooted and grounded in love.
Ephesians 3:17
I generally change the oil in my vehicles. It’s not that I’ve had horrible experiences in some places, but well, maybe I have. So if I change it myself, I only have myself to blame if something goes wrong. I go through the whole process. I get the old oil container and the correct 14mm ratchet and take the oil plug off. The oil drains into the container, I then remove the oil filter, and the remaining oil drains into the same container.
It all seems pretty straightforward, and for the most part, it is. What makes it so simple is to have the correct tools to remove the oil drain plug. Can you imagine me trying to take the oil plug off with my hands? Without a ratchet or wrench to help me. I promise you it would never get done. Why? Because I did not have the right tools. My hands would fall off while trying.
Christ inhabits us with love
When we experience “grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8), Christ takes up residence in our lives. To the outsider, this seems quite odd. But, our life becomes His home. That’s what it means when Paul writes, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Ephesians 3:17, John 14:23). Christ-followers are not alone. You’re not alone in the battle, and you’re not alone in the difficult times. You have an advocate, friend, and Savior who loves you so much that He has made your heart a home for Himself.
Christ roots us in love
Christ settles us by rooting, or firmly settling us in love. I’ve heard it said that when you plant a tree, it takes three years to see significant growth because the first two years it is growing more root than fruit. But when that third year comes, it is an amazing sight. The stronger the root, the sweeter the fruit. Christ does this in our lives through our faith in Him. Strong roots in Christ give us a strong ability to display love to those around us. The winds of disappointment and discouragement will not overcome a person who is well-rooted in Christ. I’m not saying it will be easy, because there are people who are difficult. But the stronger and more deeply our roots grow in Christ, the more likely we will love others as Christ does.
Christ Grounds us in Love
The idea here is that Christ gives us an excellent foundation for loving others. Having Christ dwell in your heart doesn’t mean all will be smooth sailing, and you won’t have any problems or run into difficult people to love. It does mean that those difficult people to love will benefit from Christ indwelling you because your changed heart cannot help but to love them. Think about that one potentially difficult person. God placed them in your path for a reason. I believe that reason is to put Christ’s indwelling presence on a magnificent display and love them for no reason other than Christ dwells in you.
When Christ grounds us, He establishes us and strengthens us in love.
We have the ability through Christ to love people because we have been rooted and grounded. As one author puts it, the Christian life can only flourish in an atmosphere of love. When others look at you, do they see someone rooted and grounded in love who desires to share it with others?
So what about the oil change? If I didn’t have the right tool, I couldn’t change the oil. In the same way, if we aren’t rooted and grounded in faith in Christ, we cannot adequately express the love He has for us towards others. How will you love those challenging people today?
Click the above image to read more about loving the unlovable.