The Most Precious Flower
Last week, I talked about the weeds that creep up that we sometimes inadvertently cultivate instead of pulling up. These are things that add nothing to our lives, but threaten to choke out what really matters. Sticking with the garden analogy, the things that really matter are the flowers. Flowers are delicate and require serious care, but they’re also beautiful and necessary to keeping the natural world alive.
For me, one of those flowers is my relationship with God. If I had you until this last sentence, I beg you to keep reading. I want to tell you why this relationship matters to me and why I think it’s worth further examination if you don’t consider this one of your flowers.
Why it matters to me:
It’s simple. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for me and all people so we could know him. A few years ago, I had a conversation with a former student about faith. He said, “I’ve heard the same sermons as you have. I grew up in your church too.” But he missed the point. It’s not about hearing sermons or participating in church. My life before knowing Jesus was uncertain, and scary, and ultimately hopeless. My life after can still be uncertain and scary, but it’s never hopeless. I know I was created to glorify God and I plan to do that to my dying breath.
Here’s what that looks like in my life:
I try to connect daily. I do my best to connect with God daily by reading my Bible and praying. Since this is a relationship, I want to do what I’d do with a human relationship. I would talk to the person and stay up with what’s going on in their lives. I’d be real with them about my struggles and I’d listen to them. It’s that simple. When I don’t connect with God, I feel off. A little disconnected. Less like myself.
I talk about God. I don’t scheme and or plan how I’ll work God into conversations. He’s changed my life, so it happens pretty naturally. Sometimes I get a sense that that’s where the other person wants to take it and sometimes they just ask me because it’s not really a secret I’m a Christian.
I use the Bible as a filter. I try my best to filter decisions through the wisdom of the Bible. It helps me prioritize what matters and what really doesn’t. It helps me be a better parent and wife. It takes the pressure off me to do and be everything because not everything fits into the call I feel God has given me.
I make mistakes. All the time. I mess up in front of my family daily. They know we’re all a work in progress because they know me and they know themselves. When I mess up, I do my best to learn from it and I keep going. We know God is a forgiving God because he sent his own son to forgive our sins. Living in a place where you want to be better but you know perfection isn’t possible is called grace. And it’s a great place to live. I strive to be like Jesus, but I don’t do it to earn his love. I do it because he freely gives his love and I can’t imagine another way to react to that kind of gift.
Why I think this “flower” is worth further examination in your life:
If you’re already a follower of Jesus, I hope you’ll continue to grow in your relationship with him. If you’re not, thank you for staying with me! Seriously, you could have clicked away a long time ago and I appreciate you for continuing to read.
In the Matthew 16:15-16, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter, who’s known for being blunt and honest, says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” I think it all comes down to that one question and the answer to that question changes everything. People say Jesus was a good teacher, or a good person, or that he didn’t really exist. People say a lot of things, but if you take the time to examine who Jesus really is, I think it’s difficult to see him as anything other than the Son of God.
How often do you take book recommendations? If someone recommends a book to me, I almost always put it on hold or check it out. Can I recommend something? Read the book of John. You don’t need to tackle the whole Bible at once. That’s a major commitment. Just read John (or Matthew, Mark, or Luke). They all tell the same story. In my opinion, John is the easiest one to read. I think you’ll be surprised by Jesus. He often does things you wouldn’t expect. He is always annoyed with religious people and would do anything to reach those who are lost. He gets mad sometimes. He asks amazing questions and tells awesome stories. If the most important question we can answer is, “Who do you say that I am?”, then why not investigate a little. Put that current best seller aside for a week and read the all-time best seller.
And as you do:
1. Read it however you want. Did you know you can download the Bible on your phone and it’ll even read it to you? Choose a translation you like and pop in your headphones. Or you can dust off your physical Bible. Read with a pen and make notes or just enjoy the story. Read it aloud or in your head. Whatever way you want to take it in, just do it. You won’t be sorry.
2. Know that the Bible isn’t like another book. You could read the same passage 10 times on 10 different days and 10 different things will stand out to you. There’s a reason it’s called the Living Word. It’s God’s word and he is very much active in what goes on in the world.
3. Focus on the person of Jesus. I already said he’ll probably surprise you. But focusing on Jesus is the only way to investigate Christianity. Remember when I said I mess up a lot? Guess what? So do all Christians because we’re people. If we didn’t mess up, we wouldn’t need Jesus. But if you focus on Christians, you’ll tend to be annoyed. Sometimes, Christians are the worst. Jesus knew a thing or two about that when dealing with the religious people of his day. But when you allow the annoying things about Christians fade into the distance and truly focus on Jesus, you can answer that question, “Who do you say that I am” knowing the facts.
In my garden, the flower I treasure most is my relationship with God. It’s the most precious flower in the garden and my prayer is that you ask yourself the most important question of all, “Who do you say that I am?”
Blessings,
Shannon
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