Weekend, December 26, 2020
At the Center
“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” (Ephesians 3:17 nlt).
In our modern use of the word heart, we tend to think of it as something that encompasses our emotions. We might say, “My mind tells me to do one thing, but my heart tells me to do another.”
We tend to think of the heart as the emotional aspect of our lives, what we might call our gut reaction. But in ancient times, that is not what the heart referred to. The heart spoke of the mind and of understanding.
The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus, “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” (Ephesians 3:16–17 nlt).
Paul was praying that Christ would dwell in their hearts. Why would he pray that for believers? Clearly the people he was addressing in Ephesus already were believers. In the earlier chapters of Ephesians, Paul pointed out that they have been justified, sanctified, and adopted. He clearly mentioned the fact that they’re believers.
However, to Christians, to people who have a relationship with God, Paul said, “Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in Him.”
Paul was praying that Christ would settle down in their hearts, not just living inside the house of their hearts, so to speak, but being at home there, settled down as a family member.
In the same way, Jesus Christ wants to be at the very heart of our lives. He wants to be at the center.
Is Jesus Christ at home in your heart today? If you have put your faith in Jesus, then He has taken residence in you. But the question is this: Is He comfortable there? Is He settled down there? Is He at home there?
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Grief is one of life’s most difficult challenges. Pastor Greg Laurie experienced this truth when his son Christopher passed away suddenly. Discover comfort and healing in times of pain as you read his book Hope for Hurting Hearts. Receive your copy as our gift for your donation of any amount to Harvest Ministries this month.
