by David Brenneman
"So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep." John 21:15-17.
There's been many who have taken to asking you and I a question: If you could talk and visit with someone, deceased or living for an hour who would you choose?
Indeed for me there's no question that it would in fact be Jesus. I also might wonder if when that hour would wrap up if a similar exchange as we read in John 21 might take place.
So put that exchange in your life right here right now.
We're not here in this world to gain more money or possessions or status among men and women.
The Great Commission was not just for those in Church leadership.
Relationships in Christ are to be held as priceless compared to anything that the world has to offer.
Your relationship with Jesus is to be the most important.
What do you make more important than your relationship with Jesus?
We all quite often do a bunch of things that certainly are not God honoring.
The battle in our hearts decides whether we love Jesus or that sin that keeps vying for our attention.
The cry of our hearts ought to be "No! I love Jesus more!".
I would choose that hour to be with Jesus not just because it's Jesus, but because it's Jesus! If indeed those of this world whom have gone on before were available, I couldn't see myself disrupting the eternity set before them.
Should such be among those whom I knew and they weren't saved in Christ Jesus, that hour would mostly be them emphasizing with all they could muster that I be sure that Jesus Christ is my Savior. That I absolutely do not want to be where they are going back to.
Should such be among those whom I knew and they were saved...I could not be the one to take them from the presence of Jesus even for that hour.
But, you might say, it's only one hour!
Look at how overjoyed they were at the Transfiguration. That was mere minutes.
But one hour...my Dear Reader...an hour with Jesus is beyond priceless and in deed its possible right now for you and I.
We choose where our time goes.
We make choices that either are investments or deductions concerning the years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds we are given.
We can either work towards retirement or work towards getting out of debt then maybe retirement.
We can wait or charge something and end up paying 3 to 10 times as much in interest for it.
We can spend that hour with Jesus if we so choose. We are in a world culture that loves to drop a ton of money on sporting events, movies, theater, travel, music, etc. We can choose that which is the better way, the better thing to choose.
Many people claiming to be Christians are those who consider it a chore to pray. Think that it's too hard, too much like the schoolwork they left behind, to be reading their Bible. They don't make growing in Christ a priority because they got saved right? Jesus has their back right?
Jesus, my Dear Reader, has absolutely no intention of leaving a single Believer as He found them. This includes you and I.
We have simply no idea how bad off we are because of how intertwined sin is in our lives.
An hour with Jesus, I might have questions. I also might just spend it in silence. Just being held by Him.
I might just walk with Him throughout His creation. Or I might spend much of that time apologizing, asking forgiveness, for a life that's mostly been wasted.
When you think hard about your relationship with Jesus, really think about it, where do you stand?
Are you really aware of how He views your life choices? Are you ready to hear what He thinks about all those things you value more than your relationship with Jesus?
Don't throw up a hand in protest at that statement.
We aren't ever going to be fully aware of how greatly offensive our sins really are to the Holy God we came to for salvation. We cannot wrap our minds around how great that offensiveness is.
We choose various forms of idolatry and don't realize that's exactly what it is. We choose various ways of selfishness in reaction to others and don't see that the Spirit says that's exactly what it is. We choose anger at all the wrong times and ways and don't see that for what it is. We ruin relationships that the Spirit has been trying to cultivate in us, through us, because of various forms of pride.
Would you really be ready to hear from Jesus what Peter did?
You certainly would not be able to lie. You would have guilt upon guilt.
How healthy is your walk with Jesus? Do you have Him essentially on bread and water? Interaction is so sparingly engaged that you don't recall a single conversation with Him?
Jesus is...He just is...more than a person from 2,000 plus years ago.
Jesus is more than the One sitting at the right hand of the Father, advocating for Believers.
Jesus is more than just "the man upstairs".
Jesus is more than the one you call in your time of need.
If Jesus isn't more than these to you...then maybe indeed you need to figure out if you truly love Him as He loves you.
5 minutes with Jesus can change a life forever. 5 real minutes. Reading His Word, talking heart-to-heart, listening, learning. Getting rid of things from your life that are not going to matter in light of eternity.
Jesus's hour came and He spent it on the cross...thinking about you and I. What do you give Him?
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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