that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

Ephesians 3: 16-19

It has been said more than once that the Christianity of many is a mile wide and about an inch deep and, as a result, our faith is revealed as shallow. Need to be convinced? Today I read that only about half of the people interviewed for a magazine article could name one of the four Gospels. 

Now, this is hardly a litmus test, but it is revealing, don’t you agree? It seems that many are satisfied with just a morsel instead of the grand meal prepared for all. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians was that they would be able to comprehend the greatness of God in three dimensions instead of a one dimensional cardboard cutout. 

How is it that we are able to know that love that “surpasses knowledge?” How can we be “filled with the fullness of God?” It’s more straightforward than we think. 

How do we get to know our friends? our spouse? We invest in them.  We learn about them. We engage them in conversation. How much time are we investing in understanding the width, the height, the depth and length of God’s love for us and His character?

When we are in pursuit of Christ, the more we know of Him will deepen our love and draw us closer and closer.