Life Search

“Who are you looking for?” (John 18:5 NLT)

Jesus was at his usual place when the soldiers came to arrest him. He didn’t try to hide who he was. He didn’t camouflage himself in any way. Instead, he stepped forward and identified himself.

Have you been searching all your life? Do you know where to look? Would you be aware of it if it were near?

Some of us chase after money, prestige, power, and pleasure. Others pursue meaning, purpose, contentment, stability, security, understanding, acceptance, love, nurturing, comfort, healing, joy, and peace. Yet, we never seem to find enough of what we seek. We remain dissatisfied and restless.

If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for, then you may just not know who you are looking for.  

“I AM he.” Jesus said.  (John 18:5 NLT)

Recognizing the Spirit

“God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’” (Acts 17:27-28 NIV)

During the past week, I have had two different people ask me to help them find their pulse. I showed them how to place two fingers near the carotid artery on the side of their necks. Once they knew how, it was no longer a mystery.  

Just as blood flows through our body, so does the Spirit of God. Yet, many of us are unable to sense this. We don’t know where to look. It helps to have someone show us how to feel our way toward God and find Him. He is not far from any of us. In fact, He is right at our fingertips. For in Him, we move and live and have our being.

Encouraging Each Other

“Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” (Ephesians 6:18 MSG)

In the last few months, I have started running with a group in town. As one of the slowest members, I struggle to keep up. At first, this was disconcerting; I came home after each run, physically exhausted and mentally deflated. The critical voices in my head kept reminding me of my limitations. However, the rest of the running group continually spurred me on. On long runs, when I grew too tired, someone would stay close until I caught my breath and felt like I could go on. When self-doubt and fear of failure threatened to engulf me, their encouragement boosted my spirit. They gave me pointers on how to get stronger and push through mental barriers that come with fatigue. They showed me that I could do more than I thought I could do. Sometimes they just distracted me with funny stories, so I didn’t focus on the difficulties I faced.

As followers of Christ, we are called to keep each other’s spirits up so no one falls behind or drops out. We can do this through attentive kindness, persistent prayer, and consistent encouragement.  

Stay close to those who are dispirited and help them recognize the Spirit within them. Keep alert to the promptings of the Spirit of God. Allow God to work through you and speak through you. Be bold--both in intercessory prayer and in sharing insights. Do not be ashamed or embarrassed to be God’s tool or His fool. Uplift those who feel dejected; encourage those who are faint of heart; cheer on those who strive to fulfill God’s purposes.

Moving On

“They do not belong to this world any more than I do.” (John 17:16 NLT)

A few years ago, a friend of mine built a custom home on the other side of town from where she was living. However, even after her new house was ready, she didn’t fully move out of her old house for months. The kids still needed to finish out the school year, and the old neighborhood was close to everything familiar. She had a storage POD in her driveway. She slowly moved non-essential items into it whenever she had extra time. She got rid of a lot of useless clutter. The old house didn’t sell for months, and it required regular upkeep and staging. She was depending on the profit from the sale of this house to finance the new one. This transitional form of living continued for much longer than she anticipated. She remained attached to the old neighborhood and hesitant to fully commit to the new place.

The worldly life feels comfortable; it provides us with a sense of belonging. Our identities become enmeshed in our accomplishments, relationships, and social perceptions. We sense there is something better, but we are reluctant to leave behind the things that feel familiar and cozy. Oftentimes, we look to religion to aid in the transition. Like portable storage units, church groups allow us to keep living mostly in the world while dipping our toes in the spiritual realm. This promotes an illusion of progress, but it is far from Truth.   

Our new home is set apart from the commonplace. It requires us to leave behind the familiar and fully commit ourselves to Divine Truth. Sanctification is not comfortable. The move can be socially isolating. However, once we manage to detach from worldliness, we are ushered into our new home. We are engulfed by holiness. We are unified in relationship with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Magnify

“I glorified you on earth by completing down to the last detail what you assigned me to do.” (John 17:4 MSG)

Jesus glorified the Father by completing what He was assigned to do. He lifted up the Father, revealing Him so that humanity may better understand God. He sacrificed so that we may be brought into the unified relationship of the Triune God.

How can we glorify God?

We are meant to be like luminaires--elevating, magnifying, and diffusing the light that Christ has shared with us. Only by separating ourselves from the materialistic world can we consecrate our lives to Something Worthy; we  are called to reveal God’s character, to clarify  Truth, to know Him and make Him known.  

Lord Jesus, enable us to complete, down to the last detail, what we were assigned to do. Help us to magnify God so that all may share in the ecstasy of being united with the Father.

Overcomer

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT)

From birth to death, life presents itself with a series of obstacles. Learning to overcome these challenges is part of the human experience. Most of us try to train our minds and muscles, hoping to conquer these barriers on our own. We succeed to a certain extent. This reinforces our inherent sense of self-sufficiency and competence.

Until, one day, when we find ourselves completely depleted, overwhelmed, unable to overcome the feelings of hopelessness and despair. Then what? Do we give in to defeat? Or do we rely on a Higher Power?

Jesus has conquered the world. He has overcome the trials and tribulations of the human experience. We, too, are conquerors, because we have the Lord fighting for us. His Divine Power enables us to surmount the barriers that come before us.  We are overcomers through the strength of Christ.

“Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That's my gift to the conquerors!” (Revelation 3:21 MSG)

Productive Pain

“It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world.” (John 16:21 NLT) 

Pain is part of the process of bringing a child into this world. This is an example of productive pain which leads to gain. Sacrificial love, personal growth, and unfailing faith all come with suffering. Yet, this kind of pain is worth embracing, because the benefits outweigh the cost.

While in the midst of pain, it is difficult to tell if what we are going through is worth it. A woman going through labor often wonders why she has to go through this agony. Similarly, life can sometimes feel like a prolonged labor session--just a series of endless contractions with very little progress. It’s natural to question the purpose of suffering when we are discouraged and exhausted. We scream in frustration at the God who put us in this predicament. Yet, God stays by our side, holding our hand in a firm grip, as we push through to eternal joy.  

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58 ESV)