Do you know Jesus? Or do you just pretend to know him? Or do you know about him but not him? Those are two utterly different things. Because if we rationalize faith we start doubting. But if we enter into the presence of God and get to know him we are filled with joyful awe and peaceful certainty.

Do you hang around Jesus because you want to be blessed? Or because you want to personally know him and love him? We all need to stop and check out our motivations once in awhile. God knows them anyway. We might as well be honest about our intentions. Jesus sees through us as he saw through the people who were impressed by his miracle of feeding thousands:

Jesus answered, “You’ve come looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs—and for free. (John 6: 26, MSG)

Do we want physical blessings or divine blessings?
Do we hang around Jesus because our focus is on us, how much we can get?
Or do we hang around Jesus because of him?
Do we want to know him because he is God?
Or do we want to use his power for our own purposes?
Do we want our will to happen in our lives?
Or do we want God’s will and plan happen to us and the whole wide world?

Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End. This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, ‘And then they will all be personally taught by God.’ Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore learning, comes to me to be taught personally—to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father. No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father—and you can see me. (John 6: 43-46, MSG)

God is calling us to come to him. Jesus is ready to heal and put us together, set us free and on our feet, ready to meet whatever may come. But it doesn’t happen if we don’t spend time with him. How can he abide in us if we don’t talk to him? How can he teach us personally if we never spend time together? Have you sit down on your couch today with Jesus and talked about how you are going to spend your time today? Did you share a cup of coffee this morning with Jesus? Have you read the Word of God today in silent adoration?

Jesus wants to teach us personally what it is to live life his way, what it is to love him and not just his blessings. How utterly wonderful it is to finally admit that Jesus can do so much more with my life than I ever could! Jesus doesn’t force us to know him and learn from him, we need to come willingly. We need to be faithful in immersing ourselves in the curriculum of grace.

I can personally testify that if I don’t take time to hang around with Jesus my spirit dries up so fast. I need Jesus. I need the Word of God. I need to be in reverend awe of God Almighty to be fired up for God. I need Jesus. I need grace. But the good news is: there’s plenty available for all of us. God has unlimited supply of love, grace, peace and all the good things we need. We just need to cry to God for help and he takes us from there. God is still in the miracle business. Just like he was 2000+ years ago.

It is hard to believe in God if you stay far away from Jesus. You are not bothering him if you want to spend time with him. Jesus is waiting to be with you, to teach you, to get to know you and be personally known by you. What a powerful gift this friendship is. But it needs to be mutual. Jesus will never let go. How about you?

 

Gracious God,
Draw us near to you.
Forgive us wanting our way.
Move us beyond blessings.
Show us how to spend more time with you.
Come and be super real to us.
Show us how to share our life with you.
Enable us to love you more than life itself.
Become our everything.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: What has God be teaching you lately?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you deepen your friendship with Jesus!

Photo courtesy of Thomas Roberts