Good Monday morning! August has arrived and the summer-fall things will start soon. Football, school, cooler nights, hunting, shorter days, will all come to visit us as the year wanes. At the beginning of August it's still summer with all the good and bad things that go with that. We have enjoyed a cool summer, but the next few days look more like normal summer temps for us.
While sitting in my chair in my house, I thought of that as an analogy for the way we want Jesus in our lives. Jesus told us that he stands at the door and knocks. If a person answers the door, then He and the Father will come in and dine with that person. I have always liked that verse and certainly would want to answer the door literally should Christ arrive at my front door, but of course Jesus is speaking of our salvation. When we are first saved we invite Jesus in and give him the best chair. Somewhere along the way though, we often start to move Jesus around in our lives. We don't trust him as we ought to and try to take back control. Soon we may find that we have seated Jesus not as the honored guest, but on a bar stool by the door with his coat draped over the back to facilitate a quick exit should we not want him to be seen. We know this is wrong, but sometimes we don't think of it.
The one who would be Lord and nothing else, is seated out back and we only come to him when we want help with something. Our house will only be right when Jesus is seated as the head of the household. The funny thing is that we fear seating a dictator as the head of our household when Jesus simply wants to sit as our friend. As our friend, He sends the Counselor into our hearts. Jesus doesn't want to enslave us, He wants to guide us. We fear giving control to an overseer, but the one who comes is the gentle teacher and shepherd. How do we always get this so wrong?
Lies, of course! We want to invite Jesus into our lives and the enemy whispers, "He's gonna be mean." We fear pain and discomfort, so the enemy whispers, "that Jesus is gonna send you to a far country you've never heard of... and they don't even have toilets there!" What did Jesus promise though? "My yoke is easy and my burden is light; He who loses his life for my sake will find it; I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly!" And of course that big one - "...that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
Let's worry less about what Jesus might or won't do, and think more on the promises He set down in His own Word!
Enjoy the love of Jesus this week!
Bucky
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