What Did You See?

What Did You See?

by David Brenneman 

We often don't see what's right in front of our faces.  I watched what was just probably an act, but it was grounded in truth, of a woman telling someone on her phone that she had to go because she couldn't find her phone. She ends the call after her frantic search only to realize she hadn't seen it in her hand.

We often can go driving on either a long or short trip only to arrive without knowing how we got there. 

We can easily go into a panic but struggle at focusing on a moment that's worth experiencing. 

John 20:29 NASB "Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you now believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

In Christ we are to walk by faith and not by sight.  We really can miss out on blessings and God's promises and provision when we get in His way of doing so. 2 Corinthians 5:7 NASB "for we walk by faith, not by sight—"

We often struggle with this because we are still following in the footsteps of Adam and Eve.  Trying to subdue the world to our whims and our idea of a kingdom. 

We who have come to Christ are no longer with a country of our own.  We are aliens and yes simply visiting this world. Our citizenship is in Heaven. Philippians 3:20 NASB "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;".

Ours isn't in living lives that establishes us as what the world strives for.  We, while still here, are working in the harvest of God.  We are tending to what's in His fields.  Living lives ready for His appearing, His return, for us. 

We waste so much time trying to create what we think is the ideal body, the ideal job, the ideal vacation, the ideal family, the ideal...well...you get it.

Those who are in Christ Jesus are given the same instructions today as the Disciples received a few thousand years ago. We have the same information same words in the same New Testament. We are instructed to live lives in such a way that others glorify God in Heaven. We are to submit to the Spirit, learn from the Spirit. We are to not love the world nor the things of this world.  To be lights in this dark place. 

So wipe your eyes, your physical and your spiritual eyes and take a look at what you have been doing. 

Would Jesus say that you have glorified Him with your efforts in this world? Would He say that you are indeed a good and faithful servant? Would He congratulate you on a job well done in living for Him?.

Were you to be pulled aside by Jesus to give you a performance review, what do you expect Him to say to you about how you've lived so far? 

This message is as much for me as it is for you. It's the same for the new in Christ Jesus as it is for those who have been saved for a very long time.  Apathy is extremely subtle in how it begins. The temptations we face always are extremely subtle.  They tend to start small, with just an odd interest, then before we know it, it's like spray foam. It's everywhere at once and is expanding. Sticking to every single thing in your life. 

Praying and prayer takes our minds off of us and puts it on the one we are here to serve.  Set your minds on the things above and not on the things of this world. Colossians 3:2.

It's extremely sad to look at my own life and see how much of my brain has been wasted on useless knowledge of useless things.  I see others who know more about a baseball team or football team and most of the lives of current and former players than they do about Jesus or the Bible. 

They only really show excitement at talking about those things and are no where near as passionate about Jesus or the real reason they are still here. 

Believers who are still in this world are only here to further the Gospel.  Nothing more, nothing less.  We only enter into the rest of Jesus when He knows our usefulness in doing that work is at an end. 

Open your eyes and look at how you have lived. Look at what ambitions you have. 

Look at what drives you. Look at the direction of your mind and your life.  Are you honoring God in how you live it?

So...what did you see?  As long as the breath of life is still within you there's hope for a transformed life.  Confession comes before asking for things from God.  

Let today be the day of new beginnings.