Being Still | Rooted & Established in Love

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide 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 3:17-19

I’ve always been a lover, not a fighter. I’m not good at arguing. I’m not good at getting into “heated” disagreements. I’m not one to get into a battle with someone via social media. It’s just not my scene.

And I don’t think that’s a bad thing… but there are some people that just LIVE to be right. They look for an opportunity to get in a fight or get in an argument and show their prowess. Or something. You know what I mean?

It’s not that I don’t know how to handle conflict or disagreements, because that’s not true at all. I just err on the side of love and grace when it comes to dealing with negativity, criticism, or conflict. And for years, it’s worked for me. It’s not in my nature to prove that I’m “right” – it’s just in my nature to love people because, in turn, I just want to be loved back.

Sure, there are times when something happens and my blood just boils and all I want to do is scream or snap. And my emotions have certainly gotten the best of me before, and almost every time that happens, it just doesn’t end the way I wanted it to.

But, when I handle things with love and grace and with a smile on my face… things almost always smooth themselves over.

I just think about Jesus. I mean, He, of all people, had terrible things said to Him and about Him, terrible things done to Him, and some of those nearest to Him betrayed Him. Yet, He did all things with love. He did EVERY single thing with love.

Even when He felt anger or disappointment, He handled it with grace and love.

So, when something really gets my dander up or something comes my way that overwhelms me or I think I can’t handle it, I try to pause, breathe, and look at Jesus. If I’ve rooted and established myself in love and grace, I can conquer anything.