Living In 3-D

 

T

he coffee table in my living room has several items on display.  There are a few books, a kaleidoscope, some coasters, and a neat engraving of a train.  All of these items were given to me by either family members or good and trusted friends.  There is one more item in my study, a most interesting conversation piece that visitors always ask about.  It is a replica of the 3-D chess set from the television series Star Trek.   

 

I like the game of chess, but I am more of an observer than a masterful player.   This particular chess set, however, has given me a lot of enjoyment over the years and it also provides the topic for today’s Tidbit.   The most intriguing and challenging aspect of this particular version of chess is the movements of the pieces and their placement on the boards.  I say boards because the set is composed of three playing surfaces that are stacked one on the other. In addition to moving horizontally, the pieces can also move vertically in space.  This ability is necessary because one set of pieces occupies the top board while the opposing set is placed on the lower level.  The middle surface is called the neutral zone and represents the field of battle. 

 

Chess is tricky in two dimensions.  Remembering how all the pieces move is quite a challenge for the beginner.  Couple that with the ability to move vertically in space and you really have your hands full!  However, once you grow accustomed to all the possible moves one piece can make, the game becomes more exhilarating, more challenging, and much more rewarding. 

 

As a Christian, I believe I can say with all confidence that this is how Christ meant for us to live and experience the Christian life.  Unfortunately, we are content to live our lives like a conventional chess game, two dimensionally.  At this level, everything we experience is superficial.  We enjoy just enough to keep us in the game, but we really miss the excitement, the challenge, and the reward another dimension would add to our walk with Christ.  Our relationship with Jesus revolves around reading the scriptures for a few minutes, saying a quick prayer, and perhaps mentioning him once or twice during the day.  That’s it!  But there can be so much more. 

 

In Ephesians 3:17-18, the Apostle Paul pens these words, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Please notice the words that Paul uses here: wide, long, high, and deep.  All these words suggest movement in three-dimensional space. Height and depth cannot be understood two-dimensionally; they can only be experienced when we move from the superficial to the more profound!   

 

Think about that for a moment!  Jesus is inviting us to climb the heights and plumb the depths of his great love for us.  In order to do this, our relationship with him must go beyond the flat playing surface of our lives.  We must penetrate the surface and dive deep, we must stretch our abilities and climb the heights, and we must have the burning desire to know God in all His fullness if we are to experience life completely.  Even the idea of “fullness” means there is depth! 

 

Is this how you are living today?  Are you living life in two dimensions only?  Are you longing for a richer, fuller, and more satisfying relationship with God?  If so, it is my prayer that you will begin to let God work in your life in such a way that you experience height and depth.  Let him stretch your faith in Him; allow Him to take you deep into His love and to carry you to the summit of His grace.  There is nothing like living in 3-D!  Try it! You’ll like it!