The Pacing of Jesus – Part 2
Recently, I introduced you to five ‘compass points’ that I observed in the Gospels that seemed to be ingredients that helped to dictate how Jesus paced His life. Now, I would like to throw out a few thoughts on these various ‘compass points.' The first of the five is:
Jesus was secure in who He was/where He came from/where he was going – so He could serve. I think John 13:1-5 provides tremendous insights into what was ‘behind’ the serving of Jesus. Consider:
vs.1 – “Jesus knew that his hour had come”
• Understanding one’s ‘season’ allows one to simply serve where they are at
vs.1 – “having loved His own…He loved them to the end”
• Sincerely loving those God gives us provides us with the focus of our service
vs.3 – “knowing the Father had given all things into His hands”
• Knowing the will of God and how we fit within it allows us to serve with effectiveness
vs.3 – “He had come from God and was going back to God”
• It is essential that our identities be rooted in who we are related to (God) – and not in what we do
Often we ‘serve God’ for a variety of reasons – from trying to gain His favor (or that of another person), because it makes us ‘feel fulfilled,' or because we want to ‘make an impact,' etc. A little reflection on this passage, however, gives us a glimpse of what was ‘behind’ Jesus’ serving. Ultimately this affected His pace. Note that there is no sense of an ‘internal proving or pushing’ within Jesus but rather a ‘sense of security and peace’.
So upon further review, is your pacing dictated more by ‘a push’ or by ‘a peace?'
~DB
Comments