Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8
What is my greatest shortcoming? The lack of depth of God’s love I have within me. There is always more God wants to permeate His love into my life. There’s another level, another depth, another truth about myself that must receive His love. Within myself I can’t do it. I literally don’t know the depths of my own soul … but He does. I often ponder spiritual maturity, and I often land back onto the reality that true spiritual maturity is the level of God’s love that the individual has allowed to saturate them. When an individual is completely saturated with God’s love … what is lacking?
What is the most powerful force in the universe? God’s love.
We’ve barely scratched the surface of understanding what God’s love is. Which each revelation comes more paradox. What I thought I knew – can’t even stand in the new understanding of my current greater revelation of God’s love. Each deeper level clears the table of what I thought I knew. Humbling. Convicting. And it demands even more surrender. I must relinquish all of my pride of what I thought I knew. The new revelation to me from the Holy Spirit always makes what I thought I knew … small and insignificant.
I am often reminded of CS Lewis’ novel The Last Battle, book 7 in the Chronicles of Narnia, and the statement “Further up, and further in!”. There’s another level of realness of increasing creation and life that makes the last one we were in – seem dull. God’s love is like that. With every infusion of God’s love – life expands exponentially in every way. Words fall short. ‘Shock and awe’ take on new meaning. Light expands and increases in brightness.
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16
The depth of understanding, revelation, and acceptance of this truth will determine your spiritual maturity. How much have I accepted God’s love into … my being, soul, mind, heart, and spirit? What is the depth He wants to infiltrate, permeate, soak, drown, impregnate, and immerse me in His love? And it has NOTHING to do with my striving, efforts, and rituals. It has everything to do with my surrender of my will and choice to what He wants to do within me. Will I accept His love? To what depth?
Will I allow God to so completely drench me with His love – that it will spill out? Must I maintain control? Or am I willing to give Him control?
Dunk me Jesus in your love. Immerse me completely. You have my permission. I want to be completely ‘water-logged’ with Your love.
3 thoughts on “My Shortcoming.”
Many will not understand this post only those who truly seek after Him and have DEEP relationship with Him. Those who desire to seek Him more will be filled with hope.
How does one measure love?
I’ve been sitting in the lack of love I have within me and the lack of willingness to receive more. It’s been teaching me to let go of my rights to knowing I have it all together. It’s been setting me back into a place of full reliance on God. Saying,”I don’t know what I want or need. I don’t know how to receive. But if you know how to give, please give until I can’t hold anymore. And then, give more. And make me able to receive whatever you have to give.” And as a result, He’s been removing from me everything that fills me and gets in His way of filling me. Including friends and family.
Love it my friend. Well said. It really is outside of all our own striving and rituals and that is hard to understand.
I’ve been learning that even in the daily disciplines that He is leading me to and in. I often disobey His guidance in these areas because it doesn’t seem right. Why can’t I enjoy that Lord?
I’m learning more and more to submit and trust and I like how you painted the picture of His love
Thanks