Complete in Him Alone
Just as a light shines only when power flows through it, life in Jesus is complete when His fullness shines through us.
Devotional Credit: Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
Photo Credit: Unsplash
In today’s reading, T. Austin-Sparks reminds us of a reality that confronts us often. The enemy whispers lies that suggest if we abandon ourselves fully to Jesus, we will be stripped of joy, narrowed in life, and left with less. These thoughts creep in subtly, tempting us to believe that dependence upon the Lord means deprivation. But Sparks presses us toward the opposite conclusion. In Jesus lives the fullness of God in bodily form, and by union with Him, we too are made complete. To reject Him is to live diminished, less than what we were made to be.
Sparks also speaks directly to the realm of service. Our flesh is eager to display itself even in Christian work, making us believe that dependence on God will only produce anxiety. Yet this dependence opens us into what he calls a “romance” with God, a life of discovery and wonder. Rather than leaving us drained, this posture of trust fills us with life and surprises us with joy as the Lord supplies what we could never produce on our own.
The devotional draws us to consider that fullness in Christ is not a theological slogan but an ongoing experience of His sufficiency. We may swing between helplessness and vitality, but each time the Lord supplies, we discover anew that He is living His life in us. These discoveries are not random. They are reminders that dependence on Jesus is the secret of our life, our service, and our joy.
T. Austin-Sparks leaves us with the impression that life in Jesus is anything but narrowed or dull. It is an adventure of trust, a daily invitation into the richness of God’s fullness expressed through His Son. What appears impossible in our strength becomes the canvas for God’s ongoing display of His presence in and through us.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, do not believe the whispers that suggest surrender to Me will shrink your life. In My Son lives the fullness of God, and because you are joined to Him, that same fullness dwells in you. You are not lacking, for in Him you are complete. When you abide in Him, you discover that dependence is not weakness but the very source of your strength.
When you trust Me in your moments of inability, you make room for My power to be seen. I have not called you to strain in your flesh, but to rest in the life of Jesus within you. My power is made perfect in weakness, and your life becomes a testimony of what only I can do.
Service done in your own strength wears you down, but when you yield to Me, I express My life through you. What you once thought would narrow you becomes the very place of freedom, for where My Spirit is, there is liberty. This is not a life of loss but of abundance, not a narrowing but an enlarging.
Every breath, every task, every moment becomes an opportunity to know that I am your sufficiency. Life in Christ is not routine or predictable. It is a life of wonder, of discovery, of romance with the living God who delights to make Himself known in you.
Scripture References: Colossians 2:9-10, John 15:5, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Ephesians 3:16-19, Philippians 4:19, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:4, John 10:10.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a flashlight that seems lifeless until the batteries are placed inside. On its own, the casing offers no light, no power, no use. But once the batteries are installed, it suddenly beams with brightness, fulfilling its true purpose. In the same way, we are not diminished by depending on Jesus. Rather, His life within us becomes the source of everything we were created for.
Today, when I encounter a task that feels beyond me, I can whisper in my heart, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me in this very moment.” Whether it is a difficult conversation, an act of service, or a weary moment, I yield to Him, confident that His sufficiency is my fullness.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that I am complete in You. You are not withholding anything from me, for in Jesus dwells all the fullness of God, and by union with Him, I share in that fullness. I rest in the truth that dependence on You is never deprivation but the doorway to abundance. I rejoice that You are my sufficiency in every task, my strength in every weakness, and my joy in every moment. I live today confident that You will express Your life through me.