“What lies behind us and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Greetings dear family of our beloved Saviour Jesus Christ, May the God of all mercies, reign within your hearts, may He endow your souls with the richness of His grace. Amen
Emerson’s words reminded me of Jesus’ words when He spoke of the Kingdom of God being within us. St Paul writes, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1Cor 3:16). Our God is not a distant God locked away in the heavens, but a loving Father who has sent down His Spirit to live and work within the hearts of those who love Him. It is a beautiful thought that as you read this letter, the same Spirit, which is alive within your hearts, is also here, alive within ours.
This Spirit unites us in love to one another and also to all the members of Christ’s church. To come closer to God we only have to look within our hearts and seek out His love which is always there waiting for us. This is why the ‘interior life’ is so important to Christians, we need to cultivate the interior life until we recognise and comprehend the presence of God within us, guiding us home to His Eternal Kingdom.
What lies behind us are “tiny matters” because God forgives all things and wants us to put the past away for good, and He has placed a tomb-stone over all our past sins, burying them for good! He will also heal all our past hurts if we let Him. What lies before us are also “tiny matters,” as we need not fear or worry about what our future holds in store, leaving everything in God’s capable hands, we must have total faith. Did Jesus not tell us: “And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?” (Mat 6:27) The only thing that matters is that which is within our hearts, in the here and now, to live each day to the full in God’s presence, uniting our hearts with His, in the work of salvation. Let us pray.
Father, we thank You for the Spirit of love that You have placed within our hearts. Help us to live each moment of our lives in Your presence, fulfilling Your Commandment, witnessing to Your love, and growing in grace and mercy each day. In Jesus name. Amen.
