Author: Roberta

I’m a Freelance Copywriter working in beautiful Calgary, Alberta.

Oh, how I love Jesus

What does it mean to be a Christian?

At one point in my life I would have listed my denominational affiliation and my doctrinal beliefs, when asked this question. It was as though I sought an identity in a larger group. Of course, I never fully agreed with the group on everything – this is impossible. But, I found it easier to describe my walk with Christ in the framework of a recognizable structure and language.

That has changed. A lot. It has been hard to put my finger on how and why that changed, it evolved over a long period of time.

I was watching a documentary about India the other day. The host was interviewing a couple. He introduced the wife to the audience as a Hindu who has since become a Christian, who is married to a Muslim. He asked her why she became a Christian. She responded, “Because I love Jesus.”

Here it is. This! I turned my back on the definitions of denominational language and doctrinal differences because I want the world to see me as someone who loves Jesus.

Instead of looking at other Christians and people around me as my models for behaviour, I need to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. He becomes my pattern, not a religious order. Do these groups have something to offer – YES. And do I love many people who still attend such groups – YES! But for me there is freedom in focusing on Jesus alone.

He can be there when I interact with my neighbours. He can be there when I chat to the homeless man I meet when I’m walking my dog. He can be there when I support friends who are being ostracized by society. He can be there when I teach and parent my kids. He can be there in those private moments with my husband. He is there always. I don’t have to check to see what my Church’s stance is on anything. I report only to Him. I keep my eyes on Him and worry about only being pleasing to Him.

1 John 4: 19 We love because he first loved us.

God so loved us

I like to listen to classical and instrumental music on my television. The music is usually accompanied by beautiful photography of wildlife and natural scenes. This is visual pleasing but I realized the other day, while it may make you wistful for such places, the image can’t replace the real experience.

You can see the scene, but you can’t smell the air or sense the contours of the ground beneath your feet. You have to guess how cold the stream feels when you stick your fingers in the rushing water. Pictures can elicit memories and longings, but they are shadows compared to a real experience.

God could have told his people to build an idol, like all the other gods. An idol could have been a physical reminder to the people of His presence. Something for them to help focus their religious efforts. But, He knew, like a picture it would be an empty representation.

Instead, He sent His son. He sent a part of Himself to earth. Jesus the real life representation of God. The people (and thanks to the records in the Bible, those who came after) could see Him, hear Him, even touch Him. God loved us so much that He wanted us to truly know him. No idol would suffice. The creator entered His own creation.

John 14: 9 – 11 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.
How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father,
and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”

Trust in the Lord

We are built to see the negative. We can have 100 positive things happen and one negative. This one will toss our world and cause us to fall apart. The negative occurrences occupy our memories, affect our moods and even impact our outlook.

Some of these negatives are bad and indeed should impact our world. But sometimes, we give them more head space than they deserve. How do we combat this propensity to see the negative?

We need to look for the positive. We need to look for God’s hand.

Late Saturday evening our boiler stopped working. We were frustrated, unsure of what to do. It was late so we turned it off. We have radiant heat, so it meant no hot water and no heat in the house. I was crushed. Another expense. Another problem. I was reflecting on the advice I read earlier in the day, to hand our troubles to God. I thought, “Well God I’ve handed you a stack, here is another.” Wondering if he’d ever help with any of the that pile.

Then I started to think, “Well at least it happened now and not mid-January.” And then, “If there is a problem it would be great to get it fixed before winter.” Somehow the problem took a different turn. Was it a pain? Yes. Was it frustrating? Yes. But, there was still so much for which to be thankful.

Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.”

I am blessed

I often ponder how I can honour God in my day to day life.

Often I make the mistake of thinking big. I was raised in the “you can do anything” generation. The message we were taught is that we could grow up to be, and do something significant. If we put our minds to it we could be the people who change the world.

How does the world describe significance? Fame, fortune, notoriety, social value, the list could go on. We value the people who are in the public eye, the people who make a splash in the world.

Our own small and insignificance lives can be jarring in comparison. It is easy to feel like a failure because I didn’t grow up to be Hemingway, or the next great female politician, or the head of a major corporation. I can feel like a failure if I use the eyes of the world, if I see my life mirrored in the expectations of society.

But… what did Jesus say? Jesus has a different way of seeing the world. Jesus’ view stands in opposition to the values of the world. Perhaps it is easy to see our own worth when we see ourselves as Jesus sees us.

Matthew 5: 3-6 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

His sheep

I heard an analogy this weekend that was thought-provoking. I was watching a program about people who have left the Amish faith. This particular family did so as they studied the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. They came to the conclusion that the principals of Jesus were more important than the rules of their faith.

A friend came to her and explained that the rules were there as a fence to keep the sheep safe within the confines of the pasture. The fence protected them from the dangerous world. This woman’s response was so beautiful. She said, “If you are with the Shepard and following where he leads, then no harm can befall you.” Or something of that nature – it’s a rough paraphrase.

The hardest thing to do is live by principles. We favour rules and laws. They give us security. We feel less afraid when we have a physical barrier or fence. The problem is that we are limiting our influence. We are limiting our experiences and our knowledge. As scary as it may be to leave the safety of the pasture, if we are following Jesus, then we can do so with confidence.

Read about Jesus. Know about Jesus. Give your life to Jesus and see where he leads.

Fear has no place in our hearts. Is it there? YES. We are human. But we must fight fear. Jesus overcame evil. The biggest battle the world has ever known has already been fought and won. We may struggle and suffer, but Jesus has already paid the price for our sin.

Our Shepard will not lead us astray. He has gone before and fought the fight. We must keep our eyes on him.

1 Peter 2: 21 – 25 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you,
leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to Him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd
and Overseer of your souls.

Fall

I love fall.

Crisp mornings. Sunny blue skies and golden leaves. The distinct smell in the air.

I love everything about it.

The pulling in of the harvest, small as mine might be. The making of jellies and the freezing of extra tomatoes. The planning for winter. The rush to get the outdoor projects done.

I even love the fight over who gets their way over the window. I like it open, even if it’s cold; my husband would prefer it shut, even in the heat of the summer. (Have no fear the battle rages on. We are each committed to our own view and there is no compromise in site).

After all the hustle that characterizes the ending of summer, it’s a brief period of quiet. If you live in Canada, it’s the season when you hold your breath wondering when winter will start this year.

At this time of year I sense the world pausing. A short beautiful pause before the next season. None of the hard work of spring, the rebuilding after winter. None of the long languorous days of fun and spirit of the summer. None of the harsh reality of winter. Simply a pause.

A green, yellow, gold, red pause.

Psalm 19: 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Update

Last week I was suffering from vertigo. Spending time at the computer and staring at a screen wasn’t easy. This week I had to catch up on all the things left undone during the previous week.

This is how life works isn’t it? We stumble on unexpected events, and then we pick up the pieces. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

I did do a lot of thinking while I was incapacitated. I just need to marshal those thoughts and put them to some use. I’m working on that now. The brain is whirling.

Hoping you are all well and that God is walking with you and that you feel his presence.

Our people

My Grandma told me once how she loved the people from her home community. No matter what they did she loved them. She told me of a neighbour who was a horse thief. Everyone in the area knew it. If your horse went missing, the first stop was always to his farm to see if he had it. Usually he did have the stolen horse. The community folk would go collect their horse and be on their way.

She laughed as she recalled this. Then she paused and looking at me with her beautiful pale blue eyes, she clasped her hands and leaned forward, as though to drive the point home. “You see, they are my people.”

We all need people. We need to love our people and walk with our people.

Have we lost this? Perhaps we lost it before the dreaded virus landed in our world.

Love is not a feeling or an instinct. Love is a job. A job with easy days and tough days. But a job nonetheless.

Together lets love our people.

1 Peter 4: 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers
over a multitude of sins.

After the storm

Imagine we are on a voyage. We are sailing on the ocean. There is a great storm, and we are blown off course. When the rain and wind die down, and we stop trying to keep the ship from going down, we become aware that our tools have all been damaged. Our radio, computers and usual charting devices have been destroyed by the storm.

What should we do at this point? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts – but here is what I think we should do.

We should find a safe harbour, never mind where it is or how familiar it is to us. Find a calm place to stop and drop anchor. Most important thing to have when sailing – an anchor. Find this anchor and use it now. Stop and pause, and let go of the fear from the night before. Let go of the anxiety of saving your life and those of your shipmates. You are here now – alive. Release the negative emotions and pause.

Get out the maps. Get out the compass and try to figure out where we are. This is the only way forward. We have to stop and take stock. We can’t start sailing without figuring out how far off course we now are. We have to establish where we are and how best to get to our destination.

God is the anchor. The Bible is the map. Our inner conscience is the compass. Pause and pull out what tools we have left.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.