We Will Be A Living Testimony

December 5, 2015

We Will Be A Living Testimony

“. . . and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 3:19 (NRSV)

What is it like to be filled with the fullness of God? When in solitude on a retreat, Brennan Manning noted in his journal that we experience the fullness of God “whenever people come home to themselves in our presence, and when they feel a little less hopeful and joyful because we are absent.” Manning’s insight certainly captures the essence of Jesus’ teachings about loving our neighbors.

Manning’s insight is also counter-cultural. We live in a value-added society. Our culture has indoctrinated us to discern the value that will be added to our life before we make a buying decision or before we determine to invest our time in a relationship. “What’s in it for me?” may sound crass, and we may not be so blunt in our speech, or thought processes, but the truth is we subconsciously evaluate the commitment of our time and resources based on the perceived benefits we will receive. Jesus’ perspective is for us to look at how we can benefits others; not how they can benefit us: “If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it” (Luke 17:33).

A few days ago I noted that when I say, “Jesus is Lord,” the Holy Spirit prompts me to a gut-check: “Have I submitted all the priorities of my life to the Lordship of Jesus?” Yesterday, I observed that I wanted to live with the exciting sense that something is about to happen. When I put these two ideas together, I am inspired with a holy desire that others sense the fullness of God within me, that the people I encounter, whether friends, family or strangers, find in me a source of strength and joy.

I invite you to join me in this desire, and together, as we experience the presence of Christ living his life through us, we will be a living testimony to the world of the promise of Advent and Christmas.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.