Rooted in love

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. – Ephesians 3.16-19

What a great way to end 2019. The last couple of days are focused on the love of God. Paul writes effusively about love. He begins  here with the notion that our faith must be rooted and grounded in love.

Love is the foundation of all else that we do. All of our thoughts and action and deeds and notions and ideas and plans must take root in love.

This is a concept I am still learning. For many years churches I attended were so busy ‘earnestly contending for the faith’ that love was shunted into  the background. Love was preached about but I don’t think I ever heard a message about doing everything in love or about being established in love. My preaching was the same way for a long,  long time.

I am only now beginning to see the vital importance of Bible love. I have often acted out of fear of being called a liberal or being called soft or whatever instead out building on roots of love for God and love for others.

I don’t see how we can miss it. Jesus said all of the Law summed up with ‘love God and love others.’ ‘Do everything on love’ Paul wrote to the Corinthians. He wrote to the same church ‘now abides faith and hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.’

What determines what I think and say and do? If it is not love then I need to reconsider my motives.