Good morning…
Henri Nouwen’s Daily Meditation from 11.18.15 deepens my understanding of how we are to live as Christians during these troubled, tumultuous times. Nouwen wisely explains, “Ministry is acting in the Name of Jesus. When all our actions are in the Name, they will bear fruit for eternal life. To act in the Name of Jesus, however, doesn’t mean to act as a representative of Jesus or his spokesperson. It means to act in an intimate communion with him. The Name is like a house, a tent, a dwelling. To act in the Name of Jesus, therefore, means to act from the place where we are united with Jesus in love.”
How much does our heavenly Father adore His wayward children? How much does Jesus love each unique person born into our fallen world? How much does God’s Holy Spirit yearn to spark divine love in every flawed individual? Our LORD’s love for all people is endless, without limit, far exceeding mere human understanding. When we act from the place where we are united in love with the Creator of everything, we are empowered to become God’s living presence dwelling with this hurting world.
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God, Ephesians 3:14-19 (NLT).
Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him, Colossians 3:17 (AMP),
Sue
