“The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become - the more we realize that everything in life is a gift. The tenor of our lives becomes one of humble and joyful thanksgiving. Awareness of our poverty and ineptitude causes us to rejoice in the gift of being called out of darkness into wondrous light and translated into the kingdom of God's beloved Son.”
ACTS 19:1-20
JOURNAL
“The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become—the more we realize that everything in life is a gift.” That line from Brennan Manning has been lingering in my spirit all morning. It reminds me of how David begins Psalm 18: “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer… my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.” (Psalm 18:1–2)
David doesn’t just say God gives him strength—he says God is his strength. There’s a surrender in that. An abandonment of self-sufficiency. He isn’t clinging to his throne, his army, or his accomplishments. He’s clinging to the Lord.
That’s where real joy begins.
But to cling to God, I have to release the illusion that I can save myself. I have to give up the lie that I’m in control or that I can engineer peace and happiness by my own power. That’s the true poverty Brennan speaks of—not material lack, but spiritual humility. A soul emptied of pride. And in that emptiness, I find myself filled with gratitude, because suddenly everything becomes grace. Breath, friendship, forgiveness, purpose—all of it gift.
In Acts 19, Paul spends years proclaiming this very reality, boldly preaching the kingdom of God even when rejected. He doesn’t force belief, but he continues to offer the treasure. He doesn’t argue people into the light, he speaks it, lives it, and those with ears to hear receive it. “So that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” (Acts 19:10)
That’s the life I want: not loud, but rooted. Not flashy, but enduring. A life that becomes, as Manning puts it, “an outpost of heaven.” A life that reflects heaven’s values here on earth, not through dominance or performance, but through love.
And love, as Jesus said, is the very heart of it all: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)
That kind of love isn’t sentimental. It’s sacrificial. Honest. Risky. To love someone fully is to say: I see your flaws and still choose you. And to receive that kind of love from God, and from others...is the greatest healing I’ve ever known.
So today, I surrender again.
I lay down my pride. I release the myth of control. I offer my fear, my plans, even my need to understand. I ask God to make my life an outpost, small, maybe, but real. A place where heaven touches earth. A place where love is lived, not just preached.
That, I believe, is where miracles begin.
34And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question: 36“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”
37Jesus declared, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’e 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’f 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
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