By far the majority of my life is based on Jesus. Most of the things that I put on Facebook, email about, think about or talk about are based on Jesus. The second most important thing in my life is my wife and family.
The interesting thing is that in today’s society focusing on one makes you a hero, while focusing on the other moves people away from you. They are both powerful relationships though.
When I met Jesus in 2004, I had no idea that our relationship would grow to the depths that it has. I had no way to know that I would follow to the places I have went, or believed through the struggles that I have walked through. The same was true with my wife and each of my kids. When I met each one of them I had no idea how deeply I would fall in love with them. No concept of the depths of sacrifice that I would be willing to give up for them, or the countless struggles that we would walk through together.
The Bible uses the illustration of Jesus and the Church being a picture of marriage. I believe this is really a great illustration, because it shows the depths of what Jesus desires from our relationship. Jesus paid the price to allow me to spend time with Him. God sent His Son and then sent the Holy Spirit to reside inside of me. That is a pretty deep relationship.
But my wife and my kids live inside of me also. They are in my memories, thoughts and prayers. Just like Jesus.
I think that many people miss this point. They treat Jesus like He is something to be looked at but not touched. He is something that crosses their mind on occasion, usually Sunday morning, but is gone the rest of the time.
It is kind of like a spouse that works out of town all the time. Can you have a relationship? Of course, but are you ever going to be able to have that deep, intimate relationship that really fulfills the needs of every person. To have someone know me at the intimate and vulnerable level that I really need in a true relationship.
The answer for me has been no… Because, spending time together, struggling together and even fighting together moves things from a place of worship and religion to a place of relationship. And relationship is really where I find the other person, and in the case of Jesus, where I find myself.
How is your relationship with Jesus? Does it fit more in the religion column or in the relationship column?
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