One time when the kids were young, maybe
sixish, we went to the Chinese Buffet in the city. Both of them ate until they were full, but
then decided they wanted more. I told
them they shouldn’t stuff themselves or they might get tummy aches. They still wanted
more so I said they could try jumping up and down for a while to see if what
they ate would settle and give them a little more space :) Of course, I was just
trying to get them to stop fussing…
We
should have charged for the entertainment we provided for the diners as they
watched our young ones bouncing up and down while giggling. (It’s always funny to watch kids do crazy
stuff to achieve what they want, and these two were determined to eat more
treats… and they did!) At the end of the
meal, they were full up to the tops of their heads, and happy they completed
their goal.
(God gave gifts) for the perfecting of the saints, for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. And this
until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ; Ep. 4:12,13
unity-
one
knowledge-
precise, correct knowledge (NT- of
ethical and divine)
full
grown- complete in labour, growth, mental and moral
character etc. mature wanting nothing necessary to completeness consummate human integrity and virtue
stature-
maturity
fullness-
that which has been filled, NT- that
which is filled with the presence, power, agency, riches of God and of Christ
 |
| Cool thought borrowed from someone!!! |
In other words, the gifts in
use are supposed to help us become one in Christ, truly know Him, growing until
we are complete in mental and moral character such as integrity and virtue, and
mature. All this leads to our having the
fullness of Christ in us. Not just a bit
of Him, not half full, but completely full of His Spirit. Isn’t that what we want, to be so full of
Christ that everyone wants what we have and so become saved?
And if we are so “filled
full with Christ” (TLB) then we have no space for sin, selfishness, and walking
out of God’s will. See, my kids couldn’t
have stuffed any more food in them because they were already ‘full up’. We should be ‘full up’ with Christ so that
the enemy and his kingdom of darkness have no more room in our lives! “neither give place to the Devil.” (Ep. 4:27)
Also, when we spend time in
God’s presence, in His Word and communicating with Him, it is like we are
jumping up and down to make more room so that He can fill us more.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be so
full of the Spirit that it flows out to the world touching all the people
around us. After all, isn’t that what
Jesus was like?