One of the neatest things about living every day with Jesus is that you are never alone. Jesus is there on the good days and the bad days. He rejoices when you doand He weeps with you too. He’s a friend. A Comforter. A Provider. When everything goes wrong with my day, Jesus is the first one I run to. When I’m giddy with excitement, He’s the first one I share it with.
I honestly don’t know how people handle the bumps and bruises of life without Jesus there to guide them, protect them, and provide for them. Looking to Jesus and seeking his help is an every day experience for me.
For instance, last week was a particularly stressful work week.There was a huge problem that rose upearly inthe week that needed immediate attention. A meeting with my boss wasneeded, and I had todraw on all my powers of diplomacy to move towards resolution. While that problem was still simmering, another one loomed at my desk.
Onwent the day.
By noon, I was exhausted and just wanted to talk it all out with my friend Jesus. On my break, I went for a walk and talked over the morning’s events with Him. It was raining outside, but I didn’t care. I had a coat and an umbrella and it felt good to be alone with Him.
By the time I went back to my office, my heart was lighter, and my frame of mind had improved. Nothing had really changed, except my perspective. Because I had rolled the heaviness of my heart onto Jesus’ great big capable shoulders, I felt better. The Bible calls this ‘casting’ as in ‘casting all your cares upon Him.’ (I Peter 5:7)
During my walk, I cast my cares. I took my backpack full of burdens and threw them, heaved them onto my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In so doing, I felt immediately better knowing that He was now carrying my load of problems for me.
It isthe exchange of friendshipthat makes all the difference in our relationship with Christ.
Christ is my friend. He loves me, and I love Him. We understand each other. We spend time together. We walk and talk and share our thoughts with one another. Thisis how we build a relationship with other humans, and I have come to discover that this is also how we build our relationship with Christ.
But we don’t just automatically have this type of friendship with Christ. We must cultivate it…pursue it… and we must choose to obey Him:
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you…Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends…Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (John 15:12-14)
Notice the IF
Our friendship with Jesus is contingent on our doing certain things. Basically, Jesus says ‘if you do this, I’ll do that’. The Bible is full of ‘if this… then that’ examples:
“…If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;” (John 8:31)
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”(Jeremiah 33:3)
The IF Factor is the basis of our covenant relationship with Christ. If wepursue Him, He willprovide for and comfort us just like I did when I went for my lunchtime walk. If we go deeperin our pursuit and obey His commandments, He will bind himself to us andbe there for us in every situation.
I don’t know about you, but I have found that living every day with Jesus is the only the way to live. Not a surface deep, on my sleeve kind of relationship; but a deep, abiding, obedient love that lets me know my very best friend, the Lord and Savior of the universe, is with me every step of the way.