Gospel Longings

This afternoon, as I spent a bit of time basking in the warmth of a March Tuesday in Colorado, nourishing my caffiene addiction with a tall cup of St. Arbucks' finest, I wrote down a few thoughts on the riches of God's grace and the profundity of the Gospel. These words were originally offered to Jesus, through a written prayer of thanksgiving and adoration in my Moleskine journal - I am not sure how well they will translate into this format, but I will give it a shot.

More and more, as I spend time reading the Scriptures, I find myself captivated by the simple profundity of the Gospel and by the unceasing riches of God's grace. At times, the far-reaching ends of each seem well beyond my capacity to grasp intellectually, live in practically, and minister out of faithfully. These simple phrases: Christ came, Christ died, Christ was raised, Christ will come again contain an abundant, treasure-store of life and eternity-changing truth - truth, which has fostered a series of "Gospel-longings" within me:

I long for God to bless me with sufficient wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to truly "know Christ and Him crucified." I long for the Holy Spirit to fill me and lead me in greater measure, that I might more fully work in and live out the Gospel - that I might, in greater measure, become more like Jesus in my thoughts, attitudes, motivations, and actions. I long to more fully understand, embrace, and rest in "how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus." I long to more fully live, love and minister out of the reality that I have been graciously accepted by my Heavenly Father - not because of who I am, or because of what I have done, or have managed not to do - but because of Who Jesus is, and what He has done on my behalf on the cross.

I long for these truths to bury themselves deep within the core of who I am and work in a miraculously, transformative way - I long for a Holy Spirit driven, inside-out, restoration project of my heart, life, and ministry.