Meandering - Telescopic Steering Wheel

“…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—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 that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

I learned something new the other day about our car. As I was adjusting the tilt on the steering wheel, I unintentionally pulled on it and, to my surprise, it pulled out closer to me. I didn’t know that it was telescopic. For the two years we’ve had the car my short little arms often felt uncomfortable in having to somewhat strain and stretch out for the steering wheel on longer trips. All the while I was missing out on a telescopic benefit that I didn’t know I already had.

Although our God never changes (James 1:17), we change, and are greatly benefited, when we discover new things about him. For example, I’ll never forget a cold walk across campus one day with an older student who shared with me an important truth about God’s love. “Daniel, do you realize that God will never love you more than he already loves you in Christ?” he asked. “Nothing you do,” he added, “will cause him to love you more, or love you less. His love for you is perfect already.” I wanted to say, “Of course, I know that God loves me.” Yet, to hear it put this way I realized something new about God’s perspective toward me that I hadn’t fully grasped before. My frozen breath seemed enhanced by a warm sense of peace rising up inside me. My full acceptance with God, and his perfect love for me, wasn’t dependent on my efforts at all, but on Christ’s finished work for me through his righteous life, death, and resurrection alone. Nothing on my part could ever add to, or lessen, what Jesus had already done and secured for me. In discovering this, I rejoiced to realize that I no longer needed to strain and stretch out for something that in Christ I already had all along.

Learning about a telescopic steering wheel is beneficial, but nothing compares to the joy and benefits of learning and discovering more about our God and his great love for us.

Thanks for meandering along with me.
Pastor Daniel

PS - Next week’s Meandering Photo Search theme is, Hope. Please send your photo in by this Tuesday. The vibrancy of spring all around should supply lots of photo-ops.