Christian living

As I have been going through the book of John, a recurring theme is Jesus saying he does the will of the one who sent him.   He doesn’t talk or do anything outside of the will of God the Father.  He trusts God completely. You might argue that he is indeed God, so why shouldn’t he trust God the Father completely, but the fact remains is Jesus was human. 

He is God the SON not God the Father, and it was hard for him sometimes.  He agonized over his upcoming death, he struggled with the disciples, and he suffered in his temptation in the desert.  It’s not sinful to do so.  Yet he always stayed true to what God wanted of him.  Not in a proud “I am God way” but in a faithful, I am his son way. He taught and lived out what God would have him teach and live out.

Then tonight I was browsing facebook and there was a fellow on there talking about how we often believe lies about ourselves. Lies that we tell ourselves.  If we would actually just stop and treat ourselves like we are someone we love, we would be happier people. 

I got to thinking about that.  Then he mentioned that he wears a bracelet that says WWJD… I stopped the video the lad and I were watching and we talked for a bit.  I said “Imagine what it would be like if we all just knew ourselves the way Jesus knew himself and his mission.   He knew himself so well that it helped him give grace to others, it allowed him to stay true to himself when he was angry, it allowed him to be sad over what was to come and yet reach out to those important to him.   Imagine what the world would be like if we truly lived like Jesus.”

Thoughts Prepared

I have all this in my thoughts as I opened this chapter in the Faith Shaped Life, and read about Faith’s Submissiveness. Jesus submitted himself to the will of his heavenly Father.   It’s how he lived out his life. So what would happen if we, knowing ourselves, which if we follow Jesus’ example means knowing God to the fullest extent possible, what would that do to your trust in God?  If you trusted him full well would it matter what happened to you in your life?

If you were Samuel Rutherford, who lost two of his children, trusting God you would write something like this “I was in your condition; I had but two children, and both are dead…The good husbandman may pluck His roses, and gather in His lilies at mid-summer, and for aught I dare say, in the beginning…“. (p.106, Faith Shaped Life, Ian Hamilton).   Do you see the trust Mr. Rutherford had, calling God the good husbandman?  It’s a horrible thing to lose a child, much less lose two!   And here he is, trusting God even in this terribly hard time. His heart breaks and yet, he submits himself humbly to God.  

Do you see it?

There’s relationship there, do you see it?

That’s what does it you know.  That having relationship.   If you don’t have a good relationship, you can’t humbly submit. Submission can happen but is it humble?

Being humble in your submission shows your trust and belief in the one you are submitting to. Jesus going about his daily business of showing God the Father to the world around him.  It’s Jesus not complaining when people treated him poorly.   Jesus calling out to God “not my will, but yours be done”.    It’s Jesus showing us the way all the time.   

Jesus Brings us Along

And through Jesus we are brought into relationship with God. The humbleness we have in our submission is a reflection of our of faith and trust in God the Father shown us in the Son. The Son’s obedience in all things to his Father, shows us that God didn’t even spare his own son when it came to us.  That is the depth of concern that God has for us. 

That’s worth something isn’t it?  It’s worth us getting to know him all the more and having a relationship with him. That relationship, oh…that relationship helps us to put all things into perspective. I find him helping me to catch my breath once in a while and grabbing for a different perspective on life.  The more I learn of him, the more surprised and hopeful I become.  It amazes me all the time.  And how all these different pieces fit together…. like it is totally all God’s planning.  He builds my faith in him and the more that happens, the more I willingly accept all that he gives me. It’s weird in many ways, but it all comes down to this … Relationship.

Do you remember what happened when Jesus came to the tomb where Lazarus was buried?  Jesus, who had delayed coming because the faith of his disciples was very important.   You remember what he did when he came to the tomb.   He wept.  Jesus wasn’t stoic or unfeeling.  He didn’t immediately set about strengthening the faith of the disciples.  Jesus stood and he wept.

First off:

Lazarus was a friend, and now his friend was dead.  It’s not small wonder that Jesus wept is it?  Not only was his friend dead, but his friend’s sisters were heartbroken as well.   Jesus was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.   You know what this means for us right?   It’s not a sign of lack of faith when we are heart broken, or if we are moved to tears, or if we troubled in our spirits.  Jesus went through this, why should we be surprised if we also have moments like this as well.  No one can question Jesus’ faith eh?  So if Jesus can take a moment (or three) for sadness, heart break and tears… SO CAN WE.

Next:

Not only that, do you see that part of Jesus’ sorrow was the heart break he felt at his friends’ sorrow.  Mary and Martha were sad and full of tears.  They wept.  Jesus wept.  This tells us that when we weep, Jesus weeps with us.  Oh, isn’t that a lovely thing?  That tenderness that he shows us in our vulnerable moments?   

This is our Jesus, the one who shows us the tenderness of faith.  Showing us how to care for the sad and tearful among us.  That ability to weep with those who weep.  The ability to sit with those who mourn. To talk memories and hope.  To shake together through fear and remember promises.  This example Christ gave us, we do well to emulate it yes? .