Reading: temptation of Jesus, first miracle, first passover
I've been thinking the past several days about the incredible reality of the incarnation of the Son of God. He was born a human. The begotten Son of God. Immanuel. God with us. Present with us. One of us.
He came to engage us. He came to be with us. He lived with us, experienced life as one of us.
Perhaps the most influential and impactful factor in our lives is the people that we spend time with. If behaviours are artifacts of values, and values are a function of an ethical/moral framework, then the power of presence and relationships is shown by the shaping of that ethical/moral paradigm through those relationships.
But it takes time. And effort. Intentionality. Listening. Compassion.
This is what Jesus did. This is His character.
As a disciple of Jesus, I want to love Him, learn Him, and live Him.
So, I need to be present and intentional. To affect change and be changed. First of all, I need to be present with Jesus. I need to spend time conversing with Him every day, throughout the day. I need to be present with the Holy Spirit. I need to be present with the Father at His throne.
I need to be present with my wife. (Ironic, because I'm on an airplane from Boston to El Paso.) And of course, more than ever, i need to be present with my sons. Perhaps there is no greater opportunity and responsibility to make disciples than of my own children.
And I need to be present with friends and colleagues.
That's a lot of presence.
I need to be strategic. Selective. Not exclusive or discriminating, but strategic. I need to love everyone while significantly investing in a few.
That sounds hard. I should pray about that.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your presence. Thank you for always being with me. Please help me be present with you. And help me be present with my family. Give me wisdom in investing time with friends and colleagues. May I be useful in your kingdom. I love you, and i ask in the name of Jesus.
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