Fullness

 "..that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17b-19 (NASB, emphasis mine)

Isn't it amazing that God has given us knowledge of something we can't even grasp? Like the concept of fullness: God has given us the desire for it, the ability to perceive it, even a name for it. But true fullness in life is being completely filled with God - something we never can really know in its entirety until we get to heaven.

Even Christians, who do experience a measure of the fullness of Christ now, cannot perfectly be filled with Him until we have our heavenly bodies - without sin or desire of sin.

Doesn't it make you long for that day, when that emptiness that all mankind aches with will finally be filled for those who are in Christ? And doesn't it make you long to tell others so that they too might have the sure hope of true fulfillment?

Only the end of the overture

When we die, it's only the end of the overture. ~(said by a good friend of mine)

Have you ever listened to an overture? Sometimes old movies will play them in the beginning, while the credits roll. I believe "The Sound of Music" is that way. Before you even see the movie, you hear strains of "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" "The hills are alive..." "Do re me," and more. An overture pretty much gives you little tastes of each song - just enough for you to recognize them later.

Our lives are like an overture to heaven. Have you ever thought about this? For the Christian, when we die, it's not the end. It's only the end of the tastes we've gotten of heaven. We'll finally be in the real thing.

In our overture, all the melodies God weaves by and through our lives are simply snatches of the eternal song. Even the songs of sorrow, tragic tunes, refrains of remorse - God will transpose them to the major key in heaven. Then we'll see how much beauty He can make from tragedy.

It's a beautiful and comforting way to think of this life, isn't it? Yet these truths only apply to the one who has put their trust in God and is seeking to live by His Spirit and His standards here on earth. God only promises to work all things out for good for those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Is this you? When you die will the God of the Universe transpose the melody of your life into major and weave it in with the eternal song - or will your song continue to be one of sorrow and regret?