Brené Brown, a female American academic once remarked: “A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don't function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick.” John 1:29-34 reminds us: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
Life's fullness is believed to be a deep state of being, purpose, and joy. It embraces the entirety of the human experience - both the beautiful and the difficult - through meaningful connections, fulfilling personal goals, and a sense of spiritual or universal belonging, often described as living "abundantly" beyond mere survival or material wealth. It could be considered the apotheosis of life. It involves experiencing all emotions, finding purpose beyond oneself, and recognizing the inherent perfection in each moment, even challenges. The passion for its fullness stems from life's depth, finding wholeness in presence, creation, and gratitude, often described as experiencing life's "complete" quality.
Alternatively, a "passion for the fullness of Christ" is a deep, transformative desire in Christian spirituality to experience Christ's complete presence, character, and purpose within oneself and the Church, moving beyond mere feelings to a mature, embodied life of love, obedience, and spiritual growth, becoming fully saturated with His Spirit and reflecting His nature to the world. It's a journey of union with Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to reach spiritual maturity, embodying His perfect stature.
Although the two phrases are said to be dissimilar in denotation, they are deeply connected. A passion for life's fullness (a general human desire for meaning, joy, and flourishing) finds its true and ultimate source and fulfillment in the passion for the fullness of Christ, as Jesus offers abundant, eternal life (John 10:10) that transcends worldly experiences, providing completeness and purpose within a relationship with Him, not just in earthly achievements or pleasures. According to Christian theology, God's love is presented as the primary source for achieving the "fullness of life". This is understood not as material wealth or the absence of difficulty, but as a deep spiritual completeness, purpose, and joy found in a relationship with God.
Ephesians 2:1-6 clearly and explicitly shows God's mercy and love. It suggests that before Christ, people were spiritually dead in their sins, following worldly ways and deserving God's wrath, but God, due to His great love and mercy, made believers spiritually alive with Christ, raising them up and seating them with Him in heavenly realms, a salvation accomplished by grace through faith, not by works, making them God's masterpiece for good works.
The passage reminds us: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
Fullness in the Bible signifies an abundant supply, a rich measure of God's life, love, power, and character being present and expressed. Gratitude is widely considered a key component of, and even a prerequisite for, a sense of fullness or a fulfilled life. While "fullness" can have various meanings, in a philosophical or psychological context, it can refer to a deep sense of contentment, abundance, and meaning in life. Gratitude contributes to this in several ways such as shifting perspective, unlocking potential, and enhancing well-being. It is defined as the feeling or expression of thankfulness and appreciation for the good things in life, big or small, recognizing that their sources often lie outside oneself, leading to greater happiness, improved relationships, and a more positive outlook. It's both a fleeting emotion and a deeper, enduring trait, involving acknowledging benefits received and the givers of those benefits, from people to the universe.
The Bible's story of "fullness" centers on Jesus Christ as the embodiment of God's complete nature, where all divine attributes dwell in Him (Colossians 1:19, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” and 2:9 “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” It also speaks of believers finding their own completeness (pleroma) in Him, experiencing abundant life (John 10:10) and maturity (Ephesians 4:13). Another key concept is the "fullness of time," referring to God's perfect timing for sending Jesus to redeem humanity (Galatians 4:4).
Melody Beattie, an American author once remarked: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. It turns problems into gifts, failures into successes, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. It can turn an existence into a real life, and disconnected situations into important and beneficial lessons. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. Gratitude makes things right.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 is a significant passage that provides guidance for the Christian life, using the metaphor of a long-distance race to encourage believers to persevere by laying aside hindrances (sin and weights) and fixing their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of their faith, to endure trials and finish strong. It's guidance on endurance, focus, and perseverance in faith.
It uses the metaphor of a footrace to encourage Christians to persevere in faith, urging them to "lay aside the sin which so easily entangles us," and to "run with endurance the race that is set before us". The key to this is fixing their eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross and shame for the joy set before Him, serving as the ultimate example of perseverance and the perfecter of faith, inspiring believers to finish the marathon of life by focusing solely on Him. It reminds us: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Amen.
