Read: John 1:14-18
I grew up in the church, from infancy to adulthood, and yet I always
had a hard time understanding who Jesus really was. I had heard all the
Bible stories of Jesus, had read many of them myself. Jesus, as depicted
in the Bible, was a very compelling figure, I thought. But it always felt
abstract. These were stories of events that happened in a time and a place
that was very different than the place and time I knew. King Jesus seemed
no more real to me than King Arthur. It wasn’t until I began to set aside
the self-interest and self-focus of childhood that I began to know who
Jesus really was. In being able to offer love to another person, I experienced
the giving love of Christ. In becoming a father, I experienced the
miracle of new life through God. In being able to give time and talent and
treasures to the needs of others, I experienced the sacrificial presence of
Jesus. Jesus Christ has taken on flesh and blood in my life in the ways I
have learned to put other people first and to live in accordance with his
purpose for me.
Prayer:
Lord God Immanuel, you have given us life that we might offer it to others.
Empower me to greater things by using me to offer your hope, your blessings, your light,
and your life in the ways that I live. In Jesus’ name. Amen. ~J.J. Williamson
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