Living Loved - Kaylin Parrock

When people close to you think of you, do you think they see the fullness of God? When I’m  not in my Bible, soaking up His word and allowing Him to dwell in me, I get so focused on  feeding the flesh. Sometimes that looks like pride, jealousy, discontentment, bitterness,  covetousness.  

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole  family in heaven and earth is named, 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 3:14-19) 

Do I walk into situations prepared with the fullness of God in me able to look for ways to bless  others? Or do I walk into situations empty and dependent on others to look for ways to bless  me?  

Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel, is a great example of someone who lived in the fullness  of God. Joseph’s brothers envied him and plotted to kill him, ultimately selling him into slavery.  But the Bible says that even though Joseph became a slave, was thrown into prison, and lost  

many sears of his life, “the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man… the Lord  was with Joseph, and shewed Him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the  prison… the Lord was with him and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.” (Genesis  39:2, 21-23) None of Joseph’s circumstances mattered in the end because God was with Him.  

John 15

Not because of who you are, but WHOSE you are. 

Have you ever gotten so anxious about getting together with a large group of peers that your  palms began to sweat, chest tighten, and stomach turn? That’s how I feel sometimes going  into those types of situations, especially any type of ladies meeting. There’s just something  about walking into a room full of women that can leave you feeling less-than. There can be  overwhelming thoughts such as: “Who will I sit next to?.. Everyone there is so much more  spiritual than me… They don’t really want to talk to me… I might say something weird… I don’t  fit in… I’m just not pretty enough.” Sometimes when I’m really nervous I do this thing where I  “word-vomit”. (Let’s not kid here… I know you can relate). I’ll say the most random things that I  wouldn’t have said otherwise, but in that moment my brain says “speak” and words just come  spilling out. Boy, that can be dangerous. Kind of like how in Proverbs the Bible says that a  person who doesn’t have rule over his own spirit is like a “city that is broken down, and without  walls.” 

Then, there’s another version of myself who is soaked up in the Holy Spirit. Because of this,  there’s more of Him and less of me and that’s when I’m able to be used to pour His love into  someone else. This is the version of me who is filled with the “fullness of God” as Paul talks  

about in Ephesians. “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 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 3:14-19 

So what’s the difference? How do I get to be the Christ-filled me? How do I know I am “rooted  and grounded in love”? In John’s account of Christ speaking tells us clearly. “Abide in me, and  I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye,  except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,  the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me,  he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire,  and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will,  and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye  be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye  keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's  commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might  remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one  another, as I have loved you.” John 15:4-12 

So, do I walk into situations prepared with the fullness of God in me and able to look for ways  to bless others? Or do I walk into situations empty and dependent on the acceptance from  others, rather than abiding in His love.