Comfortable?

"Is Christ comfortable living in you?" This question came up in our Wednesday night Bible Study, last week, as we were studying Ephesians 3: 14-21.  It has been marinating around in my head ever since.  You know how some things you hear or study don't stick with you and others never leave you?  Well, this one will never leave me and I will share it with others for the rest of my days. "Is Christ comfortable living in you?" --------- Brick to my head! Pretty sure I made a painful looking face too.  :( I immediately said......think about it.....if you are a hot mess, ranting and raving and raging and acting like a fool hollering and showing yourself all the time, Christ is most certainly NOT going to be comfortable living in you!  Duh. Your people don't even want to be around you when you act like that, why would the most Holy and perfect Holy Spirit want to be around you? My brain rushed to all of the times I have acted like a fool and shown myself.  The many times I was foul-mouthed, yelled, screamed, fought, drank too much, hung out in places and with people who I shouldn't have been.  The many times I was hateful, mean, judging, ugly, full of rage and anxiety ridden. I understand why Christ would not have been comfortable in me. But God. My rescue was dramatic, beautiful and hard - it was a very hard road with much self-examination and even more submitting to God and the great plan He has for me. 

Enter a new heart - Oh yes, He says that He will give you a new heart and He does!!! This week we will be studying Ephesians 4: 1-10 were Paul is basically telling you how you should live/be/do/act, for Christ to be comfortable living in you. Ephesians 4: 1-3 ~ I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. God's Word also points us to the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5..... 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. How do you know Christ is comfortable living in you and using you?  The words that first pop into my mind are peace, contentment, compassion and love.....you know that He is living and working in you when you no longer get in a rage about things that once made you a raging lunatic - when you care more for others than you do yourself - when you are Kingdom minded and have a peace that you can't in any way explain yourself, it just happens. If you want Christ to be comfortable living in you, study what it means to be like Christ - pray to be more like Christ - strive to be more like Christ.  Take some time to evaluate your ways - walk away from people, places, things, attitudes, addictions.....anything that is not good and keeping you from feeling Him active in your life and from using you. Father, thank You for Your Word, that is a perfect guide for us, thank You for Your perfect plans, thank You for choosing us.  Lord, I pray over everyone who is reading these words, that they would be changed, that they would have peace and learn to Abide in You and that You would be comfortable living in them.  In Jesus saving name, Amen.