Hanging crosses
The sky above has been foggy. There has been a cool change in the weather over Western Sydney. At last, we can feel the wind again.
When the weather is fine, I have no excuse not to go for a walk. The other day, as I was wandering down to the shops, I stopped at a driveway where a man was about to exit. He stopped for me and I was able to go first.
Through the window I could see that he had a few crosses hanging from the mirror inside. I was thankful to him for letting me pass and prayed that the cross is a reality for him and not just a piece of plastic hanging in his car. Just as I thought this, the Holy Spirit convicted me, as I remembered the cross that I was wearing around my neck.
I heard a whisper, “Is this real for me?” Do I truly know and love Christ? Or do I only parade Christianity, wear the mask of Christianity, do the good things involved in Christianity?
It’s easy to pretend you know God, especially if you’ve grown up or been involved in Christian circles for an extended amount of time. But only for a little while. Jesus was and is concerned about our personal relationship with him. He cares about whether we know him or not. We can see this in his question to Peter, “Who do you say I am?”
Peter’s response was “You are the Christ.” He knew that Jesus was all that He said He was, including the great Christ. He knew Jesus had authority to do whatever He wanted to do with Peter’s life.
Do we have this same reverence and awe for Jesus like Peter did? Do we truly know, love and serve Him?
Know Him and Love Him
Jesus has always been interested in our hearts and our intentions. He wants us to know him not just serve him with fake hearts that are still dead in sin.
As he says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew chapter 7, verse 21-23)
I grew up knowing my father, loving and trying to obey my father. It was only out of a personal relationship with him that allowed me to genuinely want to follow him. If I had not known him, I wouldn’t want to follow his commands.
I wouldn’t see the reason for them because I didn’t know his heart behind them. In the same way we can all put on a religious show to try to appease our mind and others around us that we are right with God, however, unless we know God so intimately as to know his own heart, then all our religious works will be summarised by the word ‘evildoer.’
May we all strive to know God personally through Jesus Christ with a faith that truly believes God and is moved out of love to do his will. Only in this way will we have a true relationship with God that will stand the test of God’s coming judgement.
Renee Jenner resides in Sydney, Australia and is a recently qualified social worker whose looking for a job! She is the first born of home-base missionary parents whose ministry has made a huge impression on her heart. She always writes from the soul to the soul, desiring to encourage readers to enjoy God, relax in His goodness and spread His love to the utmost parts of the earth. She loves a good cuppa with a deep, thoughtful conversation. You can find her other writings at renee.jenner.wordpress.com
Renee Jenner resides in Sydney, Australia and is a recently qualified social worker who has recently found a job! She is the first born of home-base missionary parents whose ministry has made a huge impression on her heart. She always writes from the soul to the soul, desiring to encourage readers to enjoy God, relax in His goodness and spread His love to the utmost parts of the earth. She loves a good cuppa with a deep, thoughtful conversation. You can find her other writings at renee.jenner.wordpress.com