Take the Plunge

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:16-19

As the year started I took the plunge…a polar bear plunge that is. A friend wanted to cross that activity off her bucket list but didn’t want to do it alone so I volunteered to take the plunge with her. Now at the time we lived in California and while it does get cold there in the middle of winter it’s not quite the same as doing this sort of thing in say Minnesota or Vermont. I will say that the water was about 10 degrees warmer than the air temperature - but it was still a shocking cold plunge to make in the middle of winter. The post plunge lunch of homemade soup and some good conversation made for a nice start to the year.

As I reflected on the experience Ephesians 3:18 came to mind. I like the idea of plunging into God’s love. The polar bear plunge is an all-in all-out as fast as you can kind of proposition, but God invites to plunge into the vastness of His love and stay there for all eternity. In His love we find strength, power, courage, wisdom, provision, shelter. In His love we are made clean and whole, we are redeemed and we are filled as Paul says “with the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). 

Resolutions have their place but this year before you make those resolutions - take the plunge. Plunge into the amazing, unlimited love of God, through His Son Jesus. That plunge just might make keeping those resolutions a little bit easier.

A Prayer
Father - you know that we sometimes hesitate to go all-in for you and the purpose your have for us. Help each day to take the plunge into your great, life changing and sustaining love. Then once we are in that amazing love, may we find the rest and everything else we need to be who You intend for us to be. In the name of Jesus, our foundation and wind changer - Amen.