See yourself in
a pew as a booming preacher points his finger at the you and the rest of the
people saying, “Jesus is the Way! the Truth! the Life! No one comes to the
father except by Him! The look on his face lets you know he is serious
and you might be in trouble.
Now change the
channel in your mind to see Jesus standing on the beach, waves rushing in
behind Him, lapping His feet. He is motioning you to join Him on the sand. He’s
nodding His head and smiling. You can see Him mouthing the words, “Come on
over.” You are pretty sure He is saying something you’ve heard recently. “I am
the Way, the Truth, the Life.” The expression on His face tells you, “this
Jesus fella acts like hanging out with me will be a great part of His day.”
The first scene
causes me to brace myself for the storm that’s surely coming. In it, I feel as
if I have less than thirty seconds to decide whether to run for safety or stand
there stoically to prove I can take it. Turning the channel in my mind was not
a difficult decision.
When I mentally
step into the second scenario with Jesus, I feel myself exhaling. My chest
relaxes and the furrow in my brow begins to melt away. I sense that I am
likeable, maybe even enjoyable.
Which one of these portraits of Jesus
hangs on the wall of your mind?
Who helped you hang it there?
Since I began to
seek God for the help I needed (the peace I lacked) I have found Jesus to be more
like the gentleman in the beach scenario. The Bible verses I have read portray
Jesus as generous and kind. The verses I’ve found show me He wants to help me enjoy my life. With the passing of
time, my study of God’s Word has shown me Jesus shepherding me to safety and
serenity. I have discovered Him, His lifestyle, to be the way I most enjoy.
I’ve been able to see that He gave up everything so that I would not be fooled
into thinking His Father was out to get me.
He is the
fountain of salvation. And He is kind enough to lead me to Himself, to help me see
Him as the One, True Avenue to experiencing this supernatural life in a
physical world. He is gracious. He is inviting. He is patient. He is
interested. He is not repelled by my ignorance and wrong thinking.
My prayer
May I continue
to experience this love Jesus gives, and become His welcoming greeter on the
beach. Let my interactions with others be filled with the kindness He gives me.
May they see that my ability to like my life and myself comes from Him. May I
be brave enough to tell them how I struggled until I discovered how much He
liked me.
Use me Father,
to bring them to Jesus where the water of salvation can lap at their feet.
Jennifer White
is the author of the forthcoming book, Prayers
for New Brides: Putting on the Armor after the Wedding Dress. In her
late thirties, Jennifer began to discover that Jesus was not only her eternal
Savior. He was the One to save her marriage. She blogs at Prayerfully Speaking offering hope from the truth in God’s Word.
Download her free ebook today: Prayers Spoken,
Lives Changed: God’s Extraordinary Love in 18 Ordinary People.
#GodAnswers prayer!
Twitter:
@Jenniferowhite
Facebook:
/JenniferOWhite
Blog:
Jenniferowhite.com
Free ebook:
jenniferowhite.com/prayersspoken
Jennifer, we know the same Jesus! The One who invites us to be loved extravagantly and delighted in. He longs for us to join Him and enjoy Him as much as He enjoys us. Thank you for this beautiful reminder!
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