When we lived in San Fernando Valley, our daughter was
close friends with three girls. For months after we moved back to Canada, she
talked like a valley girl. As a boy, our oldest son loved watching “Get Smart” and was completely familiar
with all the quirks of Don Adams who played Maxwell Smart in that show. He
talked like him and acted like him. Husbands and wives also pick up each
other’s mannerisms and way of speaking. It is only natural that if Jesus Christ
comes to live in me, His words and actions will also begin to show up . .
.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:1–6)
John reminds me that if I am not acting like Jesus, He still
is my advocate with God the Father and has given His life to pay the penalty
for my failure. I have hope, even when I fail.
On the bright side, with Him in my life His character will
show up. For example, after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven,
the disciples were involved in a healing and confronted by the high priest and
other religious leaders. When asked how they pulled this off, they spoke of
Jesus and “when they saw the boldness of
Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were
astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)
A Christian friend told us that before she knew Jesus
herself, she could recognize Christians because “their faces were shiny.” My husband is often asked at work or on
the golf course, “You are a Christian
aren’t you?”
This recognition is not usually from obvious things like
seeing a person kneel in prayer, or hearing them talk about church activities
or noticing that they are always thankful about everything. It might be that
they do not curse, or that they are kind and joyful, or do not whine or gossip.
Whatever it is, Christians show something of the way that Jesus is and the
things that Jesus does.
Although some may fall into that fake spirituality, this
is not ‘put on’ or a conscious effort to be pious. Rather, it flows out naturally,
like the way a child is without pressures and just being themselves. The Bible calls
this walking in the Spirit and not in the
flesh.
Jesus describes how to do it:
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jesus, I know that fruit-bearing is about attitude first,
then actions. You want me to have Your attitude about people, events,
everything. If I love You and love others, then everything I do will flow out
of that. The New Testament is filled with descriptions of what this looks like,
yet if I try to examine myself to see how I am doing, it is like trying to step
into my shadow. Instead, I’m to keep my eyes and thoughts on You and let You take
care of the output. This is a learning curve, yet a most wonderful learning
curve — making life a great adventure.
Today’s thankful list . . .
- that I know Jesus — such a wonder and a joy!
- that Jesus never leaves or forsakes me, even when I take
my eyes off Him.
- being with Jesus is the way to become like Him in all
that I say and do.
- uninterrupted time to make progress on two projects.
- homemade hamburgers.
- a very good timer so my power naps don’t wind up taking
all day.
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