TODAY’S VERSE
Ephesians 3:17b–19a
...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… (ESV)
Remember, Paul is praying that the church at Ephesus would grow in their experiential knowledge of the great depths of Christ’s love. And right in the middle of that prayer is an ever-important phrase: “with all the saints.”
This phrase first reminds us that when we do anything in obedience to Jesus, we’re standing in solidarity with every follower of Jesus who has lived or will live. That alone is a powerful thought, but the real significance of this phrase cannot be missed.
Your comprehension of Christ’s love for you cannot be experienced in isolation.
The comprehension Paul is praying for is not some deeper level of inner thought that comes from constant retrieval from the people God has placed around you. That’s not to say we shouldn’t practice times of being alone with Jesus, so that He alone can tend to our needs. We should absolutely do that, and there’s great biblical precedent for doing so. But the point of Paul’s prayer here is that to understand the truest depths of God’s love, we must live in the context of God’s family.
It’s in community that God confronts our blind spots, encourages us when we’re weak, reveals new aspects of His character through different personalities or giftings, challenges us to love those who are different from us or those with great needs, and gives us fresh lenses to read Scripture.
I think it’s fitting that Paul prayed for the “strength to comprehend with all the saints.” If you’ve ever tried to live in community with others, you know this: Community is hard. It can be really hard not to get distracted by all the frustrations of community and miss the gentle invitation of our Lord at every turn to learn what He has to teach you through every person He has placed before you. Community is hard, but it’s worth it.
APPLICATION
If you’re currently in a group at Southland, my encouragement to you is to keep showing up and leaning into the lives of those next to you.
If you’re not currently in a group, I strongly encourage you to check out our groups page and either check out an existing group or sign up to receive updates for the next group launch happening at your campus.
PRAYER
Take some time to thank God for all the ways He’s used people to transform your understanding of His love for you.