John 14:16-17; 15:11-12
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. These things I have spoken to you that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love on another as I have loved you.
Beloved, the very essence, the very nature, the very character of Christ is in you by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Christ in His great love for us, and knowing all that living this life everyday would entail sent us the Holy Spirit that we would not only be equipped to fully live life as God intended but that others would be able to see Christ in us. Christ said in His word “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper…” Oh that we would catch that truth ; (‘Another’ means – One more, One just like me, An additional). Our blessed Lord, through the person of the Holy Spirit has sent us and put within us His love, His kindness, His strength, His grace, His forgiveness, His passion, His desire, His joy, His hope, His mercy, etc. Are you getting the point yet? Let me ask another question: What do people see in you when they see you?
Because of Christ in me the ability to love my wife as Christ loves me is within me. The ability for my wife to honor me her husband is within her. The ability for us to have a loving passionate marriage is within us. The ability to see situations with the eyes of God’s faithfulness is within us. What do people see when the look at us? Do they see Christ and His attributes and standards? Do they see his joy, love, passion, and strength in our lives and how we act and interact with each other? Beloved, because of Christ in you, you have the ability to stand strong in adversity. Because of Christ in you there is hope where depression would try to reign; there is victory where defeat would try to overtake your mind and thoughts; there is the mind and heart to praise where complaint and fear would try rise up and speak out of you.
What do people see when they look at you – when the look at me? Do they see the love and hope and joy and passion of Christ in our every day lives? The love of Christ, the hope of Christ, the Joy of Christ, the strength of Christ, the mercy of Christ, the passion of the love of God I want others to see – MUST FIRST BEGIN IN ME! If they’re looking for Christ, let them find Christ in me, in my life, in my marriage, in my faith, in my joy; not in religiousness that looks like Christ, but in the truth of my every day life. He said in His word “These things I have said to you that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy would be full.” So many people claim to have the joy of the Lord, yet you don’t see it in how they interact with their spouse, their children, their co-workers. What do people see when they look at you, or at me, or our marriages, or our families? The Lord then gives us this command: “Love one another.” That is not a request, that is a command. It amazes me how so many times we will give so much effort to love and to show that love through our actions to a stranger, but not to the ones who are closest to us. Today let us pray and determine in our hearts (with the Lord’s help) to love with the love of God – to exhibit His character and nature – to put action with our declarations of love (especially to those of our own families and that our closest to us). You will be surprised at how the Joy of the Lord will fill your heart when you start walking and acting in love. Hope will begin to be restored, desire will begin to flood your heart, a passion for the fulness of the life that God intended and that His word promises will begin to consume you, and an excitement for what tomorrow brings will spring from your faith in God’s faithfulness.
What do people see when they see us outside of church, just living our every day lives?
Prayer: Lord help us to live a life that fully exhibits all the attributes, heart, spirit, character and nature of who You are so that people will see You in us and in every aspect of our lives and find that Hope, Joy, Strength, and Peace that only comes from You!