October 15, 2004
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“Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?“ Jesus said to Mary Magdalene, John 20:15.
Because Jesus is staring her in the face and asking this question, it almost seems to me as if He is really asking, “Aren’t you looking for me?” How come you’re missing it?
Yesterday as I read this in my sickbed, I felt that Jesus was pointedly asking me this question. It’s funny how sometimes you can be so busily about His business (doing this, doing that) or so focused on your ministry tasks (contact, connect, recruit, mobilize, evangelize) that you end up missing the point. The point is to find Jesus.
Just like the point of prayer is not to get something; it is to invite Jesus into your heart and life and situation, so that He can unleash His measureless power and then you can respond in worship — which is ultimately what we’ve all been created to do. The point of prayer is, in other words, to get Jesus.
The point of my relationship with God is… my relationship with God. The point is to enjoy being in Jesus’ presence. Not solely to do great things for Him. How’d I miss that?!
Comments (3)
mmm. very well said. God’s been saying that to me too… all this time i have thought that by striving to do God’s work, his will, and his purposes, that that would be God. he’s in it, and he can transform our world using us and things of the world… but things and tasks of the world are not God.
but hte foundation is simply him. amazingly him. it’s like how God says “i am who i am” – he… just is. it’s circular because any analogy fails – God is God! his love is the only love that never runs dry.
This is well said. I might share this with some other people. Hope you don’t mind.
A. Lillian
thanks mary ann…i really needed to hear that. i really do truly hope to catch with ya soon.