Apart from Sioux City, Calgary and the Puget Sound area are where I have spent most of my life. Being in both places in the last two weeks sparked several trips down memory lane. But being in both also challenged me to ask how being a follower of Jesus is impacting my life right now. 2 Corinthians 13:5 is a verse that challenges me to look at my life. The verse reads:
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
The church in Corinth, like even Central today, struggled with sin. We are not perfect people. 2 Corinthians 12:21 is just one example of Paul expressing his concern about how sin was impacting them. In a few different ways in the last few weeks, God has been challenging me to consider the place of repentance in my life. I need to repent of my sin. But that is not all that it means to be a follower of Jesus. if Christ is in me, that truth should have big implications in my life. For example, if I am a follower of Jesus, then I should long to be a conduit of God’s grace, mercy, and peace because I have received those through His forgiveness in my life. Paul’s words in verse 5 offer the opportunity to open my eyes to the implications of being a follower of Jesus. To be more direct, will I live out grace, mercy, and peace?
While in the Puget Sound, we were at a large event. There were people present with whom we had had bumpy relationships. Before going, I spent time walking and praying. I did not fully grasp it at the time until I read 2 Corinthians 13:5 a few days later, but my prayer was about the implications of being a follower of Jesus. If Jesus is in me, then I needed to live that out. In a prayerful dependence, I went to that event, asking God to help me be humble and faithful. In examining that I belong to Jesus, I was moved by the Holy Spirit to live from grace, mercy, and peace. To my delight, after moments of struggle and short, silent prayers at the event, God allowed me to have several enjoyable conversations. Living out Christ in me, instead of fear or hurt in me, brought me another dose of God’s grace, mercy, and peace to me. A dose I pray that shared. Please join me in prayerfully examining yourself and asking how and where the implications of being in Jesus need to be expressed in your life this week.