The One Whom Jesus Loves

This morning in my quiet time I was reading the familiar passage in John 13 in which Jesus reveals to his disciples at the Last Supper that one of them will betray Him.  I've read the passage thousands of times but today these words affected me like never before,

"... one of them, the one whom Jesus loved..."

Of course this was the way John identified himself in the story without actually saying his own name.   But what struck me today as I meditated on this passage was that John's habit of identifying himself this way was more than just literary subtlety, it also displays a kind of profound spiritual discipline.  One of the most important lessons of the gospel is that Christ's love for us profoundly changes the way we live and even the way we see ourselves.  So John's identifier was much more than literary style, it was a kind of self awareness that all of us as Christ followers should possess.  Having embraced the gospel, we should all write ourselves into the story as "the one whom Jesus loved".  

When I look into my own heart I can see that the biggest issues I struggle with are the result of not seeing and understanding His love properly.  When I embrace the reality of His grace I no longer have to prove myself.  When I see His love in this way all of my worry and despair becomes unreasonable.  It is the awareness of His love that answers all my insecurities.   When I see that the God of the universe was willing to die for me I am made aware of my worth in ways that affect me profoundly.  He is the treasure I look for in all other treasure.  He is the joy I seek in all other joys.  He is the love the heart longs for in all other loves.  So when I am able to see myself in the story as "the one whom Jesus loves" it doesn't matter what else is written in the script- whether it be suffering, sadness, frustration or betrayal- because ultimately I know I am loved with an eternal love.  I am the one whom Jesus loves.

Called Out

This week I've been at our IMB meeting in Greensboro NC and wanted to share some thoughts I've had in reflecting on the call to missions:

1.  We say it so much it's become a cliche- but we are all called.  The longer I'm a Christian the more I'm convinced the call of God goes out to all of us- and the closer we are to the heart of God the more we are impacted by that incessant, persistent infinitely important call.  In my 5 years on the IMB board I've heard hundreds of testimonies from young men and women who have responded to the call to missions.   What they all have in common it seems to  me is that the bigger God became to their hearts, the more they believe Him for big things.   God's call is on all of us, and the closer we get to His purposes, the more we feel the weight of that call, no matter where it might lead.

2.  To be at the center of His will is not necessarily the safest place to be.  I hear people say it all the time- "the safest place you can be is at the center of His will." Where does one find that in scripture?  Was that true of Moses?  Of Abraham?  Of David?  Of Peter?  Of Paul?  Of Steven?  Of Jesus?   God hasn't called us to live safe lives, He has called us to live obedient lives.  Sometimes to obey Him is to go to places and serve in ways that are way outside our comfort zones.  When our trustees at the IMB meet with our new missionaries before they are sent out on the field, we ask them how we can pray.  Inevitably some of the biggest prayer needs revolve around parents and family members who are struggling with their decision to go on the field.  It isn't just the fact that so many of these young families are going out of the country away from families and friends, it is more often where they are going and the fact that they are in many cases living in places that are breathtakingly unstable and even dangerous.

3.  In my experience the people who are fully engaged with the call of God on their lives are the most joyful and fulfilled in spite of whatever perceived hardship they experience along the way.   I'm not saying there are no unhappy missionaries- as there are many who are miserable.  I am not saying that God's work is always happy work and God's servants are always happy people.  I'm saying that in my years of experience in ministry I have noticed that the people who give their lives away are the happiest people I know.   Don't misunderstand what I'm saying.  I'm not saying all Christians are living the dream.  Admittedly there are many pretenders who are miserable.  There are many people who are living unsustainably incongruent and unhappy lives within the Christian orbit.   But the people I know who are truly committed to His will and are letting go of their idols and are focused on His grace and goodness are on the whole much happier people.  It is not that they don't suffer or are not living in hardship- but I agree with John Piper who says that the missionary is the ultimate Christian hedonist.    There are many more happy givers than there are happy getters.

4.  The call is manifested differently on people's lives.  To some it means they will give their lives to go to a place where the gospel has not yet penetrated.  Yesterday I met a guy in his 20s who has spent the past few years on the mission field in South America.  He asked the board to reassign him some place else because he thought there were already too many Christians where he was serving.  He wanted to go some place where there was more darkness.  So the board is sending him to a place that is beyond the ends of the earth.  He is going to a place where once you get to the ends of the earth you have to keep going!  He sees his call as hard core trail blazing kingdom building.   There are many who are called to that kind of Kingdom work.  But others are called to serve where they are in compelling ways for the gospel.   Like the business guy in our church who has a vision for sending people into the field with the profits from his business.  Like the CEO in our church whose company has a vision for distributing Bibles around the world.  Like the couple in our church that is starting a ministry to troubled teens.  Like the retired school principle in our church who has started a homeless ministry.   They are all called.   The calling looks different for each of us but the closer we get to the heart of God the more we are compelled to do big things for His glory!