For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

–Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV

Have you ever been so mad that you wanted to throw a cup at someone’s head? I have. We might need to do another blog on anger management, but for now, suffice it to say that I was also shocked at what wanted to come out of me that day. Thankfully, I was able to get out the door before I moved into action and I had a dear friend to process what had happened. As I told her about my turmoil of being discounted, she slowed me down long enough to name the emotion and the memory associated with it. Then she asked me calmly, “Can you root in the love that Christ has for you and look on that person with compassion?”

What does the love of Christ have to do with whether or not I throw the cup? Only everything. Paul wanted his listeners – us – to be so saturated in the love of Jesus that it fills every pore of our being. Like a sponge soaked in water, nothing can be squeezed out of me that is not thoroughly touched by that love. And when I am soaking in the love that Jesus has for me, I can relax. I don’t need that person to make me feel special or important. I can breathe in and out, knowing that Christ’s limitless love surrounds me on all sides. Being rooted in love also gives me the power to love in return, even if it is not reciprocated.

Do you have a metaphorical cup in your hand? Bitterness that has seeped into a relationship? An attitude of avoidance instead of love? Let your prayer join mine today that we will remember that we are internally strong because the Holy Spirit lives inside us, that we are rooted in the love of Christ, and that we are filled and saturated with all the fulness of God. The Trinity surrounds you…what does that do for you today?