What does Jesus mean to you? My Answer...

The assignment from yesterday's blog was a simple "not so simple" task...
Answer the following question...

"What does Jesus mean to me?"

My iWitness...

Here's my answer...

Objectively Jesus is the Son of God who came to this earth to teach us how to live in relationship with God and with our neighbor. He offered Himself up to God as a perfect sacrifice so that we could be forgiven of all of our sins. He lived for us and then he died for us. Three days later He raised himself from the dead to conquer the final enemy forever. Death no longer has the last word. Jesus does... and His last word is "Life"... "eternal life."

In that context this is what Jesus means to me...

The amount of understanding of "who I am" that Jesus shows toward me is unmatched. Jesus is more than I have ever experienced with any other person in the world. Jesus knows my heart through and through.There are no false pretenses. There are no masks. He laughs with me when I try to put one on. There is no hiding behind success, dysfunction, charm or puffed up knowledge. I am out in the open. It is very raw and vulnerable and yet at the same time, with Jesus, I have never felt more safe and secure.

The amount of patience that Jesus shows toward me is unmatched. I'm 50 years old and I think "by now, I should have this thing called life figured out!" But I don't... and I love the fact that in my selfishness and self centered ways Jesus walks with me, sojourns with me, explores with me and He talks with me. Jesus is the constant companion that is always there with never a mean, sarcastic and judgmental tone. When I trip, stumble and fall Jesus is there. Sometimes I like laying down in the puddle of the mess of my own doing. Jesus lays down with me... for as long as I lay down. Abandonment is never an issue or a threat.

The amount of love that Jesus shows toward me is unmatched. I always marvel at the people who feel the need to beat others up emotionally, mentally and worst of all, spiritually. I don't need you to beat me up because I beat myself up enough as it is. And here is where the love of Jesus poured out onto my life and into my life is simply incomprehensible and profoundly overwhelming. His loving eyes melt my heart. His loving arms enfold me as I collapse under the weight of the moment. His hands, oh my, those hands of grace and mercy, hold my hands and my heart ever so gently and every so firmly. When I try to let go, one thing I know, one thing I know - Jesus never lets go!

The amount of life that Jesus shows toward me is unmatched. As much as Jesus holds me when I fall there are other times when He grabs me by the hand and says, "Let's Go!!" And in a flash, we are off and running! Breathlessly running, pursuing, jumping, skipping with my eyes and heart wide open as I wildly take in landscape after landscape of people and experiences I have never encountered before. The sense of adventure is invigorating and downright inspiring. There's a reason the phrase "Fear Not" is often used in God's word. Everyday is an adventure where I have the full assurance of Jesus' presence in leading me with an attitude of "Laugh often and Fear Not"!!

The amount of grace, mercy and forgiveness that Jesus shows toward me is unmatched. Jesus never tires of me and my propensity toward straying and running off and doing my own thing. He always forgives and always offers His grace and mercy to me. How does He do that? If I had some sense of a logical answer then that would rob the grace of Jesus from being just that... Grace!

The amount of hope that Jesus shows toward me is unmatched. There is something better that awaits me. Wherever I am today there is hope for a better tomorrow. There is the hope of life getting better. There is the hope that Jesus is not done with me yet and that the good work He has begun with me will come to completion some day. There is the hope of the promises of Jesus coming true as my life will eventually come to a close and I will graduate from this life into the eternal heavenly kingdom. It is this solid, rock solid, foundational hope that undergirds my sense of being and sense of self.

The reason Jesus pours all of these things into me, "Understanding, Patience, Love, Life, Grace and Hope" is not an end in and of itself. The purpose of the pouring is so that I will pour out those attributes onto the people I encounter, love and care for in my world.

So... to answer the question, "What does Jesus mean to me?", it all comes down to one word...
Jesus is "unmatched!"

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!