Some Motivation for Hiding Our Life in Jesus

1/19/2002

All that can be shaken, will be shaken. The only thing that will be left, when all is said and done…when all the nations and leaders and economies and buildings and business empires have fallen…when all the deeds are done, all the relationships lived, all the work completed, all of our precious time spent, all our money and bank accounts and insurance worthless, all our vanities and egos dwarfed, all the movies and ballgames and “good times” are over…when all the peoples of the earth, past, present and future have bowed their knees before the Throne of our Eternal God…

When ALL is said and done and over with, the ONLY thing left will be Jesus, the Father, His Spirit…the Godhead. That is all that will be left. Nothing else will matter. Nothing else will exist. ALL will be gone forever…EXCEPT for Jesus. All that will be, will be Jesus and the things that are made of Him. That’s all!! So the only thing that really matters today, is building up and nurturing the spectacular Life and breathtaking Love of Jesus in our own personal lives and in the lives of others. NOTHING else matters. It’s a priority thing. It’s a Together thing.

So……What have we done with Him, this day?? How have we looked in His Eyes? Have we taken the time and care to do that today, just simply and lovingly?? Just because? No strings attached? What does He MEAN to us?? Have we found His Peace and Pleasure and Known Him today? How have we responded to His Gestures of Love and Thoughtfulness towards us? They’re really precious, you know. : ) : ) Have we opened our hearts to let His Love and Kindness touch us, and then out to others?

What have we done with today? Have i kept, as best i’m able, my heart fully opened to Him? Been soft and receptive, with arms spread wide to Him and to His precious other chosen ones? Have i invited the pain of the hour with humility and softness? Embracing what hurts, rather than bucking or running away or shielding myself? How have i met those pains and heartaches and troubling times? What have i done when my conscience aches and condemns me? Have I turned trustingly back to Him?

What have i done today with this Jesus who loves me so?? What have i cared about, for Him? Have i kept a “tight ship” in all of my relations with others? No building on any shifting and sinking sands that aren’t Jesus through and through? Is His Sweet aroma ever present in those relationships, confirming their validity in His Sight? Have i been sure not to tolerate “friendships” of mixture of any kind? Partly around Jesus and partly around something else? Have i not pampered myself with other false security blankets besides “Jesus loves me, THIS i know??” He’s Truly ALL that i need. I don’t need “good deeds” to feel good, or people liking me, or comparing to others to pump myself up (pride) or competing with others over anything at all?

The only thing that will be left…is Jesus. Pursuits of my own liking will have vanished in an instant. My fleeting whims and idle talk will seem ohhhh so foolish. My desires for friends or love or respect or popularity or compliments or warm fuzzy times…my lust after worldly ambitions or promotions or self-serving relationships or food or material goods and clothing and “stuff”…or big toys of cars or computers and gadgets and gizmos…all will be nothing and be embarrassingly worthless. All that will be left are those things that are built out from and through and in Jesus’ Life and Person. What motivation! That’s all that will be left. Nothing more.

So how will you spend your today? We have only a short life to live and so many choices to make…so many people to know and help and love. Let us Together Look to our Champion, Jesus…our Shepherd, our King. Let us hold His Name and Honor high, seeing that His Desires for each other come to pass. Reach out to Father’s hand and draw others there with you. Follow the lead of His Holy Spirit in patience and trust. Refuse to build anything other than the Life and uncompromising Truth and Strength of Jesus into the people that you know and live your life with, day to day. Make it your goal to exalt Him with your simple todays and tomorrows in every word, and action and thought and motivation and follow-through. Stay close to Him and in Him, not forgetting Him. I really want to live there. Do you??

You don’t want any regrets at the end of your time on earth when your eyes are dim and your body is near dead. Yes, perhaps saved, but so much potential…wasted. You don’t want that. You know you don’t want to end life that way. Project yourself out there and imagine looking back on what you’ve done with Jesus and with those you Love. With your children and your neighbors you see every day. Wouldn’t it be worth it to decide to die NOW, when THAT choice could mean SO much TODAY?? To sacrifice the temporary for the always-and-forever-lasting Things of Jesus? Choosing to bear the Fruit of His Spirit, NOW with your today?

And by the way, i’m finding that He’s not going to force my hand in any of this. : ) That’s one of those great Paradoxes of His Kingdom. The Call is Strong and Clear to pursue Jesus with all your heart…and you’ll not know Life unless you Lose your life completely into His and heartily seek first and lay hold of His Kingdom here on earth. No doubt. But, He’ll not beg you or twist your arm or constantly chastise you or badger you into believing Him for His Amazing Invitation into Life and Love and Liberty that will blow our minds. He will hold out His arms, forever, beckoning us, never turning us away…but He’ll not chase you down.

You and me, we decide how far we will go… Let’s make the very Most of the opportunity we have Today! The Glory of the Picture and the Awesomeness of His Invitation and His Power and Willingness to perform marvelous and miraculous transformations in and through you and me, is staggering. Held out before us is a Feast!!! Find Him, beg Him, pursue Him, run after Him.

“Don’t I promise that I’ll throw open the very floodgates of heaven? Test me in this and see if it isn’t true to the uttermost!!”

with love, many