The Secret of a Full and Powerful Life

My maternal grandfather was a farmer. Even during the 1950’s when he was in his 60’s he insisted on farming using a horse or mule rather than a tractor. He was successful in rearing a family on a farm of about 75 acres in East Texas because he worked hard and he knew the secrets of the farming life. One of the things he did in planting his crops was to ensure that the soil was properly prepared each year.

He also knew the secret of a full life. My Papa was what I would call the strong silent type. His example of life was a strong influence because he lived his faith. When he spoke, his words were honest and consistent. He loved and cared for others. Even though he was not rich as measured in dollars, he was rich in the wisdom of his words and his strong faith in God. He accomplished, in my mind, what God intended for him to do. He knew the secret revealed in these verses.

Ephesians 3 (NLT)

14 When I think the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. 17 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. 21 May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.

Scripture quotation taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.

The secret of a full and powerful life is not in the wealth of this world, but in knowing and experiencing the love of Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Having Christ in my heart is a necessary first step to achieving the life God has for us, but there is a difference in having Christ in my heart and experiencing Christ’s love in my life. I can go to Colorado, buy a lift ticket at a ski resort, ride the lift and then ski to the closest warming hut and spend my day. I could then say I have been skiing. Or I can spend my entire day experiencing all of the runs I am physically capable of handling, and maybe a few I am not capable of handling. There’s a difference in dipping my toe in the water and diving headlong into the water.

I believe that we are called to experience the full understanding of God’s love by putting ourselves in the place where we can see God “accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.” I confess that I’m not there yet, but I have seen someone I know very well come very close to the challenge of these verses. I count it a privilege of calling him my friend. May others rise to the challenge you put before us.