I do not even begin to know
where to begin here. I am afraid to say what I’m about to say. It feels
arrogant. I’m sitting in starbucks typing in size 10 font so that no one
looking over my shoulder can read what I’m writing until I’m really sure I want
to post it. That’s how I feel right now. Not courageous or smart or wise.
For a while now, I believe
the Holy Spirit has been asking me to write something called: “Why Jesus
Matters”. Just that name scares the crap out of me. As if I could explain the
Incomprehensible One in a blog post? Even if I made this a book?! So let it be
known, I do not pretend to know all about God or Jesus or the human experience
with our Maker. But I have seen Him, and I am compelled to share what I have
seen. This is what it means to be a witness of Christ, isn’t it? Confessing
what we have seen and heard of Him.
I am reminded of the woman at the well. Do
you know what is truly remarkable to me about that story? Jesus meets this woman at the well, tells her
everything she’s ever done, she goes back to her town and shares about her
encounter with Jesus saying: “He told me everything I’ve ever done.” And MANY
PEOPLE BELIEVED IN JESUS BECAUSE OF HER TESTIMONY. Nameless She brought many people in her town to Christ because she saw Jesus, she
heard Jesus, and she confessed her encounter. And we don’t even know her
name. Not only was she not some great
evangelist who had been waiting in expectancy for Jesus to arrive, she was an
adulterous woman, who ushered people into the Kingdom of God because she saw
Jesus and told people.
The impact of
the woman’s testimony is what blows me away about that story. Mmm, the simple power of testimony.
When we dare ask the
question, “Why does Jesus matter?” with a truly open, humble, truth-seeking
heart, we are blessed beyond our wildest
dreams. Jesus is more than we’d ever ask or imagine. Be afraid to ask, but ask
anyway, because it will change your life.
I have found many reasons in
my own life for why Jesus matters. I know there are more out there than I’ll
ever comprehend. And praise Him for it! His kindness is without end. Here is my
confession:
He knew everything I ever
did, He knew everything I was doing, He knows everything I’m doing today
and for the rest of my life. He looked on me with love and saw me just as
perfect as He washed me to be.
I was hopeless. He became
hope for me.
Someday, I hope to be a
better person than I have been. I hope I will love people better. That’s all
this life is really good for.
And someday, when I am a
better person (only because I’ve spent more years in his radiance), His
thoughts about me will remain the same as they are today: “I love you”, “You
are mine”, “There is no flaw in you”, “I give you life in abundance”, “I will
always be faithful to you”, “You will always belong to me”, “I bought you with
a price”, “I have separated you from your sin”. And also, he won’t be lying.
Just like he isn’t lying today.
The Living Water flowing from
the Lamb of God never ever runs dry. We can drink as freely as we wish without
ever fearing a shortage. We don’t have to have “dry seasons” in our faith. Hard
seasons are promised, but dry seasons are living in denial of the truth that
Jesus is a spring of living water that never ever runs dry. Drink up.
His freedom is for today. We
do not have to wait to become free someday when we die and go to heaven. We can
live in freedom, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness,
faithfulness, self-control, and abundance right now and forevermore.
I always denied the Gospel by comparing myself to others and striving to be enough.
I forgave myself for not being enough, and He was enough.
Gaining Jesus is gaining all.
Jesus is all.
I used to think that Joy and
Peace were cute things we just sang about in church and might receive in heaven
someday, but they didn’t exist here and now. Well, I thought that way because I
had no Joy and I had no Peace. Now, through the Holy Spirit, I have free access
to real, tangible Joy and Peace day in and day out. The gifts of God are the
greatest possessions. It sounds like a joke that I can simply exchange the
things of this world for the things of heaven. It’s too good to be true! But it
is true.
Finally, Jesus matters
because he is Lord. He is holy. He is worthy to be praised. He is creator. He is on the throne. His
goodness and kindness are without end. His love endures forever. His love
ENDURES forever. (It never stops, ever). His love isn’t like an earthly
marriage that has it’s good years and bad years. His love endures forever. His
love carries on in every moment. He is never EVER less loving toward us.
As a witness of Jesus Christ,
I am slowly learning to echo Paul in saying I know nothing but Christ and Him
crucified.
He is all.
He will always be all.
And that is really all I
know.
