Skip to main content

Making Himself At Home

             Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. (John 14:23) 

I don’t know about you, but I’m not comfortable playing host. There are times when I think I’m absolutely horrible not only as a host, but as a housemate and pet-owner. We’re back to the same old problem – definitions. What does a good host look like? What are the rules? In this verse, Jesus talks about a prerequisite to the position of host – obedience. I’m not so good at that, either, for the same reasons. Obedience to what? Obedient how? What are the rules?

Some would probably say that the point of being a host is to spend time enjoying the company. But what time is breakfast? What do I make for dinner? Do I maintain my normal routine?  It would either stress them or bore them to tears. Do I make plans for place to take them? Do I empty my schedule and stand gazing at them, making my whole existence about waiting on them hand and foot? I mean, I’m bad enough at this with mere mortals, can you imagine hosting the Lord?

What all of this points to is that I’m a Martha. And it’s made worse by the notion that Jesus and His Father aren’t talking about stopping by for 15 minutes and letting me go on with my life. Their plan is to move in. And that’s my desire, too – but how does this work, in practical terms?

The good news side of this is that while I panic at the notion of trying to be a good host, God is a perfect guest. His presence isn’t about my jumping through hoops and standing around doing nothing in case He might want something. Yes, it’s appropriate for me to be responsive to His preferences, but He also gave me my life. He gave me my personality. Somehow, I don’t think He intends to sit down and be waited on hand-and-foot. There is at least the possibility that He might want to help me with the gardening or listen to me trying to process what’s going on in my story. There’s a chance that He might not be jealous, but instead be supportive.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more