Honk if You Love Jesus

Last week, I posted about my official status as a California teacher. What an exciting moment and reason to celebrate. However, I was reminded last week that this accomplishment is fleeting. Having children, gaining success, reaching the highest rung on the corporate ladder, acquiring vast sums of wealth, getting accepted into a prestigious school, etc. is not the apotheosis of life. Getting married is not the end all and be all. (Try reminding that to the loneliest of single people)

Yesterday, we sang a song in choir, it's called, "Til They Rest in You"* and it refers to people searching and ignoring the discontent inside their hearts. They try to fill that void but nothing satisfies. All of their pursuits and worldly treasures lead to dead ends-quite literally too.

As Christians, our joy is found in Jesus. While this sounds foreign and weird to the average Joe, it is the absolute hallmark of our faith. Without Jesus, the Cross, God's perfect love and compassion and His desire to have a relationship with us, there is no foundation or standard for which Christians must live their lives. And while it may sound hokey to say, we only need Jesus, it is absolutely true. Jesus is not just a figure in history, He is the son of God. He is the perfect Lamb that took my guilt upon His shoulders and died on the cross as the sacrifice. Knowing that without some kind of substitute for my sins, I wouldn't be able to have a relationship with God-He is holy and cannot be defiled.

I know people have all kinds of bumper stickers with Christian messages on them, but sometimes I think they make Jesus sound so trivial as if He's this "Don't Worry, Be Happy" kind of guy. He has been portrayed as this all-accepting, Kumbaya, caricature who is only concerned with getting your zen on-wait, wrong religion. I don't think it's too far-fetched to picture Him as a comic book character. Jesus is that guy with the long hair, (in my imagination, he looks like a character in Doonesbury with a cigarette between two fingers), wearing sandals, long robe with a rope belt of course and with a speech bubble that says, "Hey man, just believe in me, follow me and your worries will go away. Peace out."

The message of the Gospel has become a feel-good story and one that meets our psychological needs. It is almost as if Jesus is this magic lamp that you rub to bring about prosperity, self-esteem and happiness.

No wonder, it's laughable when you hear someone sing the hymn, "I Must Tell Jesus" or the praise song, "Shine, Jesus Shine". Really, you're going to tell Jesus all of your problems because He is a kind, compassionate friend? If you're not a Christian, it's so easy to have such a cynicism about Christianity.

However, when you are a true Christian, only do you begin to understand who the true Jesus is. Jesus is not this wimpy doormat in whom you can find rest and love. When you have Jesus in your life, you realize that you are not impervious to life's daily problems. When you have Jesus, you do not have a shield to protect you from accidents or disease. When you have Jesus, you are not immune to being the victim of someone else's sin. And, when you have Jesus, you are not always employed.

When you have Jesus, you WILL suffer here on earth. The degree to which you suffer varies, but it is a guarantee that you will suffer.

November 2 will mark the 10th anniversary of my 20 year old cousin's death. When he was in his late teens, he was diagnosed with a rare type of bone cancer that affected mostly men. He was attending college, acting in plays and enjoyed working as an extra for various TV productions. Addison was just a fun, gregarious, kid who brought great joy to his parents and younger four siblings. I remember when we first heard the news that Addison had been diagnosed with cancer-we were devastated and of course, his death was almost unbearable.

However, when you have Jesus and you know Him, you realize that He was the ultimate Sufferer. He understands EVERY pain and every type of trial you're going through. You don't need a psychologist to unzip your heart and deal with the layers and layers of suffering. With Jesus, you don't need to dwell on the past because He knows it already. He wants you to rely on Him. Just like the woman at the well, He wants you to follow Him, no holds barred.

When you have Jesus, you know that when you face a trial or experience the worst kind of suffering, He will never leave you or forsake you. He will be by your side. Your heart will find joy in the midst of those hard times and you will find peace when you trust Him.

As a Christian, I strive to trust Jesus each day and I know that I oftentimes fail because I try to "buck up" or rely on my own means. Or, sometimes, I find my satisfaction in other things-things that are temporal and not an eternal investment. John Piper put it best, "God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him."

I know that when I focus on joys of my circumstances, I am focusing on what I've done. I don't always attribute those achievements as being from the Lord. The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian when it comes to success is acknowledging that it is God who is the origin of all accomplishments. "The good news of Jesus is not intended to make us feel good about ourselves. Instead, the good news humbles us." (Welch) Without Jesus, I am nothing. With Jesus, I am nothing. We are called to humility and serve the most high God!

So, while my official status of becoming a real teacher is pretty cool, the joys will fade just as when I bought my new car last year. These things on earth are temporal, but the joy of the Lord lasts a lifetime and His work on the cross will never diminish-even in the midst of suffering.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever-Isaiah 40:8

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin-Hebrews 4:15

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God-II Corinthians 5:21

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end-Ecclesiastes 3:11

He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
The Lord lifts up the humble;
he casts the wicked to the ground-Psalm 147:3-6

Welch, Edward (1997). When People Are Big and God is Small. P&P Publishing.

*‘Til They Rest in You
Comes an honest moment when
Each heart looks inside,
Finding nothing here on earth
Truly satisfies.
Some choose to ignore the ache,
Some confess it’s true.
God, our hearts will have no peace
‘Til they rest in You.

We yearn, we thirst,
We stumble in the dark, discontent,
For You’ve set eternity within each heart.

Ev’ry pleasure, ev’ry thrill,
Never is enough.
Ev’ry trophy, even gold,
Simply turns to dust.
Most still search to find real joy,
Yet they never do.
God, our hearts will have no peace
‘Til they rest in You.

We yearn, we thirst,
We stumble in the dark, discontent,
For You’ve set eternity within each heart.

Thank You for my desp’rate days,
Feeling incomplete.
Thank You for Your loving ways,
Leading me to see
Jesus, You are all I need,
Nothing else will do.
God, our hearts will have no peace
‘Til they rest in You.