Forming a Lifeline

I ask Him to strengthen you by His spirit – not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength – that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite Him in. EPHESIANS 3:14 THE MESSAGE 

A glorious inner strength. We pray we have it today. We tap into it for the encouragement of others, every day. It comes to us by throwing the door of our hearts open to the presence and power of Jesus. We can get spiritually lazy and take for granted the fact that He never leaves us, not even for a moment. We can follow routines, trudge through our days, check off our to-do lists, and plan our time in calendar-reminder increments—all the while neglecting to pause and ask for God’s input. His instruction will likely include something we can do for someone else to reflect the love we depend on. It might be showing more patience, being more present, or extending a seemingly unnoticeable kindness. 

Everything we do in love’s service makes a significant difference in this world, and God sees it. God loves it. Over time these differences add up. They form a lifeline from the heavenly realm to our earthly home and into people’s lives. When schedules are gone and calendars cease to exist, what we have done motivated by God’s love lasts—hopefully having an eternal effect. 

Help me to slow down and look around today, Lord. My heart is open to You. 

This is an excerpt from In This Together: 90 Devotions on the Book of Ephesians – a devotional now available for pre-order on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.