From the fullness of His grace we
have all received one blessing after another.
John 1:16
John, who was an eye-witness
disciple of Jesus, wrote this account of the life of Jesus to a church that was
alive, yet struggling under persecution.
Oppression and hardship was a regular part of life. In this verse, John is talking about a
Presence that all the believers in Jesus of his day had within. It was this fullness of His grace that
indwelt each follower. In the light of
the violence they faced, having His grace and presence was truly a blessing,
one after another! It is hard for us to
get our minds around the blessing that this must have been to them because of
the dramatic difference they experienced in comparison to the relative peace
and freedom that we have in our daily lives.
These blessings were even more significant to these early followers of
Jesus than they are for us today.
Oftentimes when I think of the
blessings that I have received, I get wrapped up in things, like a house to
shelter me, food to feed me, a car to transport me, and a TV on which to watch
ESPN. Or I think of health issues, job
issues, relationship issues, and so forth.
It is usually all about ME, or if I’m really “selfless”, it’s about WE –
me, my wife and kids, and family, but…it’s, still, all about me – and neither
about He Himself, or the blessings of the peace that comes from His presence
within. It is my hope that my life becomes less about me and more about
Him and the fullness of His grace working within men and through me.
Questions to consider: What does it
mean for you to receive “the fullness of His grace?” What does it mean to receive “one blessing
after another?” How is your experience
similar to those early followers of Jesus?
How is it different? How does
this apply to your life?
Prayer: Father, help me to not get
so wrapped up in how I can be blessed by
You, but instead how I can be a
blessing for You. Help me to
experience what it means to walk in “the fullness of (Your) grace. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment