About four weeks ago on a Friday afternoon I asked myself, “If my task as a follower is to figure out what pleases Jesus and then do it, what needs to shift in my head and heart?”. “Wow!” I hear you say with a sharp intake of breath, but I promise, although it was a thought I wanted to pursue, it wasn’t as intense as it sounds. I was asking the question because a lot of folks had been talking about Lent, which is a time when many Christians set aside time for reflection as they approach Easter in the hope that they become like Him. I didn’t feel the urge to give anything up, but I did, (and still do), want to fall in behind the divine purpose that steers my life.
I picked a dusty book off of my shelf. It was a thin, coffee stained paperback collection of notes and thoughts on the book of Ephesians called “Sit Walk Stand”. I haven’t stopped reading it since. Nor have I gotten beyond the first five pages because I was stopped in my tracks by the first big thought that the book presents; that Christianity doesn’t begin with a big “Do”, but with a big ”Done”.
I’m more task orientated than I would ever like to admit. I like to make things happen, but of course in the spiritual realm this is my downfall because it’s easy for me to think it’s all down to me when the truth is everything has been done in Jesus.
In Ephesians 2:6 it says, “(God)... raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms... so God can point to us... as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness...” and it was the idea of being seated in the heavenly realms caught my eye. I loved the image it conjured up; one of calmness, rest and authority, but I knew I was caught on the horns of a dilemma. How could I have this as my everyday experience and yet be buzzing around like a hyperactive bee, worrying about all sorts and trying to make things happen which is my natural default position? I had to understand what it meant to be “seated with Jesus” and this where the penny began to drop... I think.
The paperback says, “When we walk or stand we bear... all the weight of our own body, but when we sit down our entire weight rest upon the chair or couch... We grow weary when we walk or stand, but we feel rested when we’ve sat down for a while. In walking or standing we expend a great deal of energy, but when we’re seated we relax at once... so also in the spiritual realm, to sit down is simply to rest our whole weight – our load, ourselves , our future, everything upon the Lord. We let him bear the responsibility and cease to carry it ourselves”
All of this has given me a new word which I need to apply to my ongoing relationship with Jesus. The word is "Repose" meaning :to lie at rest :to remain still or concealed :to rest for support. If you think of the story of Jesus asleep in the boat this is exactly what was going on. He rested his whole weight – the future of the boat, his disciples and his mission upon the Father. Jesus never tried to make things happen and neither should we. As he rested in the Father we are to rest in Jesus; not that, that means we become lackadaisical or blasé about the call on our lives, because even in the boat there was a need for Jesus to get up, take action and reprimand the storm.
This is what I’m learning... slowly but surely. I need to accept that God has done everything for me in Jesus before I can fully understand the authority that is mine in order to achieve the things he has asked me to do.
David Hart
Leader
I picked a dusty book off of my shelf. It was a thin, coffee stained paperback collection of notes and thoughts on the book of Ephesians called “Sit Walk Stand”. I haven’t stopped reading it since. Nor have I gotten beyond the first five pages because I was stopped in my tracks by the first big thought that the book presents; that Christianity doesn’t begin with a big “Do”, but with a big ”Done”.
I’m more task orientated than I would ever like to admit. I like to make things happen, but of course in the spiritual realm this is my downfall because it’s easy for me to think it’s all down to me when the truth is everything has been done in Jesus.
In Ephesians 2:6 it says, “(God)... raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms... so God can point to us... as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness...” and it was the idea of being seated in the heavenly realms caught my eye. I loved the image it conjured up; one of calmness, rest and authority, but I knew I was caught on the horns of a dilemma. How could I have this as my everyday experience and yet be buzzing around like a hyperactive bee, worrying about all sorts and trying to make things happen which is my natural default position? I had to understand what it meant to be “seated with Jesus” and this where the penny began to drop... I think.
The paperback says, “When we walk or stand we bear... all the weight of our own body, but when we sit down our entire weight rest upon the chair or couch... We grow weary when we walk or stand, but we feel rested when we’ve sat down for a while. In walking or standing we expend a great deal of energy, but when we’re seated we relax at once... so also in the spiritual realm, to sit down is simply to rest our whole weight – our load, ourselves , our future, everything upon the Lord. We let him bear the responsibility and cease to carry it ourselves”
All of this has given me a new word which I need to apply to my ongoing relationship with Jesus. The word is "Repose" meaning :to lie at rest :to remain still or concealed :to rest for support. If you think of the story of Jesus asleep in the boat this is exactly what was going on. He rested his whole weight – the future of the boat, his disciples and his mission upon the Father. Jesus never tried to make things happen and neither should we. As he rested in the Father we are to rest in Jesus; not that, that means we become lackadaisical or blasé about the call on our lives, because even in the boat there was a need for Jesus to get up, take action and reprimand the storm.
This is what I’m learning... slowly but surely. I need to accept that God has done everything for me in Jesus before I can fully understand the authority that is mine in order to achieve the things he has asked me to do.
David Hart
Leader
2 comments:
David, I love this thought - i feel like God has been saying the same stuff to me too. There is such a big difference between being a good person to try to earn God's favour, rather than resting in his love and therefore becoming a good person.
That's obsolutely true Conor. I wish I had had the opportunity or been open to learning this years ago. But I'm a believer in being able to buy back the time... authority rather than activity.
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