Christ living in our hearts does not mean He is camping in the left ventricle; rather, it means He is influencing all we do and think.

I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. Ephesians 3:17–18 (ceb)

I have lived near Chicago most of my life, in various suburbs. I love spending time in the city, which is home to beautiful public gardens, great beaches along Lake Michigan and some world-class museums.

I dig museums. Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, originally built as part of the 1893 World’s Colombian Exhibition, has some incredible exhibits. One that I remember from my childhood is the model of the human heart, enlarged enough that people could walk through it.

When, as a child, I asked Jesus “into my heart,” I thought of the heart at the museum, and imagined Jesus shrinking Himself so He could literally move in to my heart. Maybe hanging a few pictures and putting a comfy chair in the corner so He could hang out there.

What does it really mean, though, to have Christ living in our hearts? It does not mean He is camping in the left ventricle, but rather, that He influences all that we do and think. We will live in love, and act in love. I’ve heard it said that love is a verb. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church, and for us, is that Christ would live in and through us, through our faith. When His love is a part of our essential nature, when He’s influencing our true self, we grow strong roots in love.

FAITH STEP: Who can you pray this verse for? Are you mentoring or discipling someone? If not, pray that God would lead you to someone who needs your encouragement and prayer.

Written by Keri Wyatt Kent