How Can the life of Jesus fill my life, become my life?

It is SPRING! It is richly verdant, GREEN, everywhere we look right now. FULL of LIFE. Is there anything that better represents all Jesus would like to be to you and me? Not just “words in a book,” but springing up all around us, growing into every nook and cranny of our lives, filling it with his rich green, life-giving ways.

John 1:4

Life was in Him,
and that life was the light of men.

Eldredge says in his book, Beautiful Outlaw, which we’ve been reading together this last semester at church, “There seem to be two basic reactions when sincere folks encounter the scandalous life of Jesus: I can’t possibly do that or I want to try and live like him.”

 

Which do you gravitate toward? Why do you think you have that particular reaction?

It is at this crossroad that we are faced with acknowledging all the things in life that we really can’t handle. Did you really think you could be all the things we see Jesus being in the New Testament (kind, forgiving, generous, brutally honest, playful, fiercely intent, full of scandalous love and grace, full of the perfect level of response for every situation) for the rest of your life without the inner help of Jesus? To be any of those things for even one day would be miraculous; so a LIFEtime? We’re gonna need some Jesus up in here! I think this is why “I need thee every hour” was written! We NEED the life of Jesus within us. So what was his recipe for success? He tell us in John 5:19-21. He  kept his eyes fixed on his father and did only the things he knew the father was calling him to do. Here’s a thought, how many things/invitations/events did Jesus politely decline, not because they were “bad,” per se, but because it simply wasn’t for him to do? I mean, he was out rabble rousing with prostitutes and drunks, so… apparently according to this following scripture, this “rabble rousing” WAS for him to do?! That might get some raised eyebrows in most of our churches!

John 5:19-21

Then Jesus replied, “ I assure you: The Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does these things in the same way. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He is doing, and He will show Him greater works than these so that you will be amazed. And just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to anyone He wants to.

Clearly if our goal is to be like Jesus we will need the same approach. We must deliberately choose to keep our eyes fixed on our Heavenly Father. Are we looking at our circumstances? Or are we looking at the one who is high and lifted up, seated above ALL THINGS in heavenly places? Lifting our eyes in this way, to the banner that flies over each event we experience immediately puts things in right perspective. He is sovereign, perfectly ruling and reigning. I can trust his battle plan and its timely execution.

Do you have encounters with Jesus? If so, how do you encounter Jesus? The way we encounter Jesus affects how we can encounter him and then affects if we can let his life fill ours.

For your consideration: In what ways, times, or places have you experienced Jesus in a way that feels unique and personal to you?

While we’re discussing things unique and personal to us, Eldredge also encourages us to be very careful how we interpret our sufferings (which are also unique and personal). He prudently offers this guidance:

1.      Don’t jump to conclusions; how you choose to interpret your suffering is critical to your experience of it.

2.      Be aware of the agreements you make; are you accepting lies/perceptions?

3.      “Agreements” might include believe things such as “God has abandoned me; I’m alone; I’ve really messed this up; It’s my fault; I’ve done something wrong” and a host of others. These are where the enemy can destroy you!

So, here’s an example of one that tried to creep in on me this week. Are you familiar with Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages? It occurred to me (the Holy Spirit revealed to me) this week that this is one of the reasons each of us experiences Jesus in different ways. What is most full of love to me (and how God uniquely created me to experience love – really, to experience himself) is different than how he created you to receive/experience love (him). My primary love language is physical touch. In case you’re not familiar, these 5 love languages (in no particular order) are: Physical Touch, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, and Gifts. A couple of these typically tend to be the dominant ways that we genuinely recognize/are able to best receive love from others. Find out what yours are here: 5 Love Languages

Just as quickly as I received this insight, the next conscious thought I had was, “Why would God make you that way? How could you ever experience him through physical touch? And look at what has happened to you in your life related to physical touch. What a cruel twist.” As I write this down, and as you listening to my story, I recognize the voice of the accuser in this. But when it is happening, in the moment, it can be so hard to identify it in our own lives/heads! But there is good news! You don’t have to do this by yourself! Ask God to help you recognize it! He will guard your heart and your mind from the attacks of our enemy. In this instance our enemy was accusing both me and God himself, trying to get me to buy into this twisted view. Eldredge says, “When his (Jesus’) suffering overflows in our lives, God’s promise is that his comfort will overflow to us as well. We can cry out for the comfort of God. Whatever your circumstances may be, he will heal your wounded heart; he will comfort. Cling to him. For his name is Faithful and True.”

Philippians 4:6-7

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

How might you have misinterpreted events or circumstances in your life? What agreements or conclusions did you draw (aka - what weed seed was planted in your garden)? How have those misinterpretations led to a chasm between you and Jesus?

On this day in this attack from the enemy, I could feel this catch in spirit; like getting your coat caught on the corner of a table, or you shirt hung on a thorn as you walk through the outdoors, a little tug backwards. That sensation caught my attention, causing me to pause, notice the thought (we’re able to take them captive!) and respond, “Hmmm… I think I should probably ask Jesus about that.” Frankly, I’m shocked and delighted by this progression, it was absolutely the work of the Holy Spirit in me! But it is also directly related to my personal choices to connect to God via the Holy Spirit so that he could. 

You see, I’ve been working on implementing this skill for a couple of years now. It started in a Sunday School class I was participating in where the teacher shared this response method when the enemy attacks your mind, giving you doubts/questions/etc., “I’m going to talk to God/Jesus about that,” a choice to turn into God, rather than away from him. A choice of closeness and personal relationship over a growing chasm of distance and accusations toward God. A glance in his direction and a Garden of Eden questions of, “Wow, that looks true. Can you explain to me why it is or is not your Truth, Lord?” Imagine if every time the enemy attacked our mind this was our response? How frequently do you think the enemy would continue attacking us? Since our enemy does NOT want for us to be turning into God, I’m thinking perhaps over time this consistent response has the potential to slow the approach of the accuser in our life. God, please continue to train our minds in this way. Help us to take EVERY thought captive! Guard our hearts and minds so that we don't allow any seeds of deception to take hold and bring more suffering into our lives.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.

So, I asked Jesus about it. Immediately a flood of memories of me sensing someone was with me, nearby, watching me, and helping me came. It started with some of my most recent memories and trickled back through time, landing on one of my earliest childhood memories that I’ve never quite been able to explain. This is what is referred to as “flow.” God has given us memory for a purpose of connection with himself and healing. Flow often moves from most recent memories and bounces backwards, sometimes seemingly at random, landing on different events through our life. The Holy Spirit then gives insights that show you how these memories all tie together. He can show you a root lie or weed seed that was planted and even watered by these events in your life. And then, the most beautiful part, he can show you God’s Truth about himself which often completely changes our interpretations of the situations, giving us a holy framework for what has happened in our lives. Ultimately bringing HEALING, RESTORATION, and FREEDOM from this particular lie-based stronghold in our life. Just ask him, “God, what would you say about that?”

One of the first memories that came to me was of a day during my quiet time as I was sitting in my prayer recliner, rested back into the chair as I communed with God. As I did, I had this sense of being held and had a vision of actually being wrapped up in the arms of Jesus as I prayed about things that were very tender to my heart. Then I went back just a few months to a time I was taking care of a friend’s beautiful garden setting home and animals. I just felt like someone was walking around with me, even standing behind me as I was stirring wet into dry dog food. Nothing glamorous, but I smiled because of the warm sense of companionship. Next I recalled a time from college when I had been fasting and praying over an important decision. As I laid curled up in my bed in the fetal position I felt like I was being held and even rocked. Finally the Holy Spirit took me to one of my earliest memories. I was about 5 or 6 years old and I was (again) laying on my bed and praying. I remember the sunlight was coming through the window and making a warm place I could bask in. Again, I had the sense of being rocked as my hand rested on my belly and I asked God to give me a baby. This was the prime of the innocence of my childhood and I just felt God smile as we looked at this memory together. My mom was pregnant with my sister at the time and I was enraptured with the whole process. Of course that prayer wasn’t answered for 20 years, but the memory is strong for a reason! As are many of yours. God was with me and he answered my prayers. He is with me now and he is still answering.

 

God shows himself through each of these situations and never contradicts himself (as he is revealed in scripture). This is what encapsulates my personal relationship with Jesus. It is, get this, PERSONAL. Things are personal when we have personal EXPERIENCES that qualify and even quantify our relationship. One of the reasons I FEEL God is because my primary love language is physical touch. He created me this way and he comes for me in this way. This may not be the way he comes for you. He created you and he will love you in ways you are best capable of receiving love, in ways that feel safe. Especially in the beginning.

  

What is your primary love language? Take some time to ask God/Jesus how he comes for you in that way.

What is the primary hindrance to this process? I’d say fear. Fear of what others will think, of what God might show us, or what he may ask of us to do. But my friend, FEAR is a liar, and God’s perfect love can and WILL overcome any fear our enemy may try to use to keep you from coming to know God in a personal way for yourself.

There were a few other memories interspersed, but I think you get the point on this. You may say it was just pressure from the recliner behind me, hormones that were perfectly balanced for a day, a response to a trauma from a heightened emotional state, or the effect of sunlight causing vibrations within the cellular structure of my body and that clearly I am crazy and taking these things a little too far. You can think what you want. I know that these are Jesus encounters!

Religion (the process of humanly boxing and distributing God in ways our mind can measure) can actually get in the way of this process. Yet nature continues to reveal in unadulterated ways the very “nature” of God himself. This is one of my favorite videos that beautifully demonstrates how God reveals himself to us in his creation. BBC may have missed the connections, but I, for one, have not! Tell me what you think is God saying about HIMSELF and the great lengths to which he will go to get noticed as revealed in this fish: Japanese Puffer Fish - Notice ME!

My favorite parallels (or parables) from this moment in nature:

1)     To grab… attention he creates something that almost defies belief.

2)     In his head, a plan of mathematical perfection.

3)     He can’t rest for more than a moment, must work for 24 hours a day for a week, or the current will destroy his creation.

4)     If this doesn’t get him noticed, nothing will.

After all the work, he just hangs out in the middle with his final message, NOTICE ME! As I’ve learned to see with spiritual eyes I am coming to see the same thing all around me in every day details or what some would call “coincidences.” But why in the world would I choose to believe in coincidence when I could instead believe that the God of the Universe is reaching out for personal relationship with me in every day little ways? Which gives your heart hope? And who is it that would want you to doubt and to keep you from this hope?! Fear is a liar! The enemy is a liar!

Again, you may be thinking, “Rachael, you are taking this way too far; You sound CRAZY!” Perhaps so. But here is what I know, it is far more delectable a world to live in when I’m looking for him EVERYWHERE and, wonder of all wonders, actually FINDING HIM than the alternative – suffering through on my own, feeling alone, uncared for, and even abandoned here on this planet.

Are you looking for Jesus? Watching for him each day? NOTICING him? What are you looking forward to with Jesus? It will do your heart good to let your hopes run in his direction.

First grade science standards teach that living things change and grow. Some shared characteristics of living things are that they breathe (need air), move, eat, need sunlight, and reproduce. So, are these things true in your walk with Jesus? Is his life filling yours? Are others drawn to him because of you; aka, reproduction? Can others make an observation and come away with the conclusion, “Living thing!” about your spiritual life? If not, why not?

Acts 17:24-29

The God who made the world and everything in it — He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in shrines made by hands. Neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Being God’s offspring then, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.

God’s offer to you is to walk with him in personal relationship. To come and see things from his perspective. To gain back 10 fold what the enemy has stolen. To take a cut of eternity based on the high price he himself paid for us to have this level of access. Just for fun, consider this song from a new perspective because I’m here to tell you, the Greatest Showman, is God himself. Just take a look around!

The Other Side - The Greatest Showman

The Other Side – The Greatest Showman

Right here, right now
I put the offer out
I don't want to chase you down
I know you see it
You run with me
And I can cut you free
Out of the drudgery and walls you keep in
So trade that typical for something colorful
And if it's crazy, live a little crazy
You can play it sensible, a king of conventional
Or you can risk it all and see

Don't you wanna get away from the same old part you gotta play
'Cause I got what you need, so come with me and take the ride
It'll take you to the other side
'Cause you can do like you do
Or you can do like me
Stay in the cage, or you'll finally take the key
Oh, ----! Suddenly you're free to fly
It'll take you to the other side

Okay, my friend, you want to cut me in
Well I hate to tell you, but it just won't happen
So thanks, but no
I think I'm good to go
'Cause I quite enjoy the life you say I'm trapped in
Now I admire you, and that whole show you do
You're onto something, really it's something
But I live among the swells, and we don't pick up peanut shells
I'll have to leave that up to you

Don't you know that I'm okay with this uptown part I get to play
'Cause I got what I need and I don't want to take the ride
I don't need to see the other side
So go and do like you do
I'm good to do like me
Ain't in a cage, so I don't need to take the key
Oh, ----! Can't you see I'm doing fine
I don't need to see the other side

Now is this really how you like to spend your days?
Whiskey and misery, and parties and plays

If I were mixed up with you, I'd be the talk of the town
Disgraced and disowned, another one of the clowns

But you would finally live a little, finally laugh a little
Just let me give you the freedom to dream
And it'll wake you up and cure your aching
Take your walls and start 'em breaking
Now that's a deal that seems worth taking
But I guess I'll leave that up to you

Well it's intriguing, but to go would cost me greatly
So what percentage of the show would I be taking?

Fair enough, you'd want a piece of all the action
I'd give you seven, we could shake and make it happen

I wasn't born this morning, eighteen would be just fine

Why not just go ahead and ask for nickels on the dime

Fifteen

I'd do eight

Twelve

Maybe nine

Ten

Don't you wanna get away to a whole new part you're gonna play
'Cause I got what you need, so come with me and take the ride
To the other side
So if you do like I do
So if you do like me
Forget the cage, 'cause we know how to make the key
Oh, ----! Suddenly we're free to fly
We're going to the other side
So if you do like I do
(To the other side)
So if you do like me
(We're going to the other side)
'Cause if we do we're going to the other side
We're going to the other side