Every Day with Jesus

Surf the net, scan YouTube and search valuable apps and you’ll be swamped with ideas, many in the early stages of development. Myriad podcasts also provoke us to consider everything, from our historical roots to our psychological health. We’re awash with ideas and propositions seeking to provide a meaning for our lives.

Christianity is reflected through the body of Christ, the church. Global in reach, multicultural in substance and denominational in structure, it has the responsibility to make God known. We each enjoy our personal capabilities, which may take time to discover and develop.

Learning is far more than an extension of knowledge. The very essence of knowing is application, a demonstration of our learning. How might I take what I know and allow it to influence how I live my life? John Chrysostom, the fourth century bishop of Constantinople, commenting on this passage wrote, ‘For to know, belongs to all; but to do, not to all.

We follow God to find purpose in life, for faith is all encompassing. Too often we have allowed what is described as the spiritual to be separated from the secular. Yet, secular simply means the culture and society within which we live. There are worshippers of all religions and none, who help shape the world we live within.

Today we’re familiar with the term ‘lifelong learning’. Formal education may end, but our need to learn continues. Great news for some, for others not so much. Learning serves both personal and professional development. As we live and learn, we grow into and express our full potential.

One thing is certain: disciples will always carry questions about their faith. Like children discovering a world with its ever- expanding horizons, so in our pursuit of God we will need to seek answers to our many questions. As children besiege their parents with endless enquiries, so we may cross examine God.

The only way we can rest in God through each season of life is by retaining our confidence in His promise. The fact that we’re chosen by God, reveals that we are known; from before time right through to the end of time. This is no random choice, but the expression of an immeasurable love expressed in the person of Jesus; humanity and divinity mystically mixed and expressed in human form.

We all know the phrase, ‘The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.’ The concept is found in the poetry of Ovid (43 BC – 17 AD), who wrote ‘Fertilior seges est alenis semper in agris’ (‘the harvest is always more fruitful in another man’s fields’).

Whilst the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10), this isn’t fearfulness. It’s an awe inspired through our inability to access God combined with His grace in making Himself known. Just as the sun remains inaccessible, we still enjoy the warmth of its rays, and so whilst God lies beyond our comprehension, we feel His presence and marvel at His kindness.

Our friendship with God is sustained and developed through a continuous conversation (1 Thess. 5:17). Jesus reminds us that it is the ‘pure in heart’ who ‘will see God’ (Matt. 5:8). Such purity, a condition where no malice abides and full attention is given to God, is itself a product of our own consideration of how we perceive our relationship with God. David, ruthlessly pursued by Saul and in fe...

There are demands the Christian life places upon us. In seeking to obey and serve God through our lives we are requested to pay close attention to every area and note our motivations, attitudes and activities. Indeed, one reason we may find it a challenge to make time for God is because we accumulate so many other interests and so lose sight of Jesus, who is constantly on the move (John 3:8).

Now accepted by God, Paul provides a list of characteristics that we can nurture by His grace. Love lies at the centre of God’s activity throughout the world (John 3:16). Once we discover that we are loved unconditionally, we’re invited to respond to that love through surrendering all of ourselves to God’s lordship and leadership.

Leave something organic in the wrong place and it decomposes. Initially unseen, once rot sets in then items are difficult to restore to pristine condition. This fully represents the reality of our mortal life. We engage in a battle between ‘deformation’ and ‘reformation’. Jesus describes how our eye is drawn instinctively to those things in the world that carry no intrinsic value (Matt. 6:19–20).

Our sources of learning all shape our understanding and create our bank of knowledge. This then drives the choices we make and the lives we choose to lead, including our view and treatment of others. Adam and Eve revealed that the first sign of human corruption is self-preservation when seeking to hide from God (Gen. 3:8). 

Experience is knowledge gained from repeated trials. In our Christian life, whilst such knowledge doesn’t come easily, we can find encouragement when observing God’s fingerprints on our life experience. It’s easy to lose confidence in God when life is difficult

Taking care demands caution, something I have had to discover for myself. It demands a disciplined approach, to pause long enough to consider all angles. Joshua is an experienced servant of God.

In life it’s easy to be deceived; both by others and, sadly, by ourselves. Micah’s Levite priest illustrates this. Having accepted Micah’s request to become his priest, the Levite chooses effectively to run a cultic site (Judg. 17:1–10), disobeying God’s instructions (Num. 35:5–8). It’s worth noting this was at a time when there was no leadership in Israel (Judg. 17:6).

In the fifth century AD, Jerome wrote, ‘This must be understood not of money only, but of all our possessions. The god of a glutton is his gut; of a lover his lust; and so every man serves that to which he is in bondage; and has his heart there where his treasure is.’ Here’s our daily challenge: where to place our confidence and our aspiration.

Mary of Bethany approached Jesus and anointed His feet with expensive nard, an aromatic ointment with a musky scent and floral top notes. Washing a guest’s feet from the dirt of the dusty streets was a sign of welcome. However, the Torah cautioned against being wasteful, which is what Mary is accused of here. In reality she was symbolically anointing Jesus for His burial.

Apodcast by Christian artist Jonathan Pageau reminded me of the words of Ambrose of Milan, ‘It is a noble thing to do one’s kindnesses and duties toward the whole of the human race. But it is ever more seemly that you should give to God the most precious thing you have, that is, your mind, for you have nothing better than that.

The objective of moving from childhood to adulthood is maturity – the ability to take care of ourselves and prove productive in the world. Parents miss young adults leaving home, yet were their children to prove incapable of departing, it would be tragic.

The word ‘service’ leads us to acknowledge that we are actually God’s servants on earth. Our model is Jesus, who came not to be served, but to serve (Matt. 20:28). This is challenging; seldom will we instinctively seek to become the least amongst our peers.

Serving God and others is the heartbeat of Christian discipleship (Mark 12:29–31). In EDWJ we shall explore what this means as we seek to make a God-shaped difference in the world. Paul’s clear: we’re to take personal responsibility for ourselves, but not at the expense of living in mutual support with others, i.e. community. God’s given us everything and encourages us to rely on His grace moment...

An urban legend attributed to Francis of Assisi (and others) describes how, on entering the Pope’s presence, before whom a large sum of money was spread out, he observed, ‘You see, the Church no longer can say, “Silver and gold have I none.”’ ‘True, holy father,’ Francis responded, ‘but neither can it any longer say to the lame, “Rise up and walk”’. The point is, we can quickly lose sight of the G...

Once surrendered to God, our attempts at denying Him only lead to greater inner turmoil. We’re God’s temples and, whilst we may ‘cold shoulder’ Him, we can’t ignore His presence. Many of our faith struggles are a consequence of our unwillingness or inability to choose obedience. Yet let’s not allow shame to distract us, for shame is only ever a tool provoking greater self-absorption and draws our...