Grasping God's Love Together

Friday - February 25th

Scripture to Read Today: Ephesians 3:14-21

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And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.

Ephesians 3:17-18

Before our world faced the coronavirus pandemic, mental health researchers and practitioners warned of a pandemic of loneliness. The British government believed loneliness to be such a dire problem that they established a cabinet-level department to address it. Likewise, professional mental and psychological health organizations in the United States have called for the federal and state governments to invest in resources to combat loneliness.

With the covid-related lockdowns, capacity limits, social distancing, and masks over the last two years, the number of people struggling with isolation has multiplied. Many feel cut off from family and friends. Relationships that were once strong have become strained. Research shows individuals grappling with loneliness fall deeper into isolation by utilizing social media to agonize over what they do not have or sense they are missing out on something others have.

Whether you and I face clinical loneliness or not, we all feel a sense of isolation from time to time. Some of us struggle with longer seasons of loneliness. Perhaps you struggle with loneliness right now. Please know you are not alone. As God's child, He is always with you.

When the Apostle Paul described his prayers for the believers in Ephesus, he prayed that they would grasp the vastness of God's immeasurable love. Interestingly, he emphasized that they needed to grasp God's love "together with all the Lord's holy people" (Ephesians 3:17-18). The best way to wrap our heads and hearts around the amazing nature of God's love and grace is together with other believers. In community with our brothers and sisters in Christ, embracing God's care becomes contagious.

When we feel unloved, isolated, and alone, the kindness of God seems far from us. We feel cut off from the God of love. Paul encourages us to help each other focus on God's compassion and care for His children. Sometimes we help each other see the love God has shown us. Sometimes we become the hands and feet of Jesus through which God shares His love. We can be the living expression of God's love to each other!

Look for a way today to reach out to a brother or sister in Christ who might be living in isolation and/or struggling with loneliness. Let them see God's love through you!

God's love gets magnified in our hearts and minds when we identify and share His love with others!