Mistaken for Jesus

Hello, friends..

Many moons ago, I used to volunteer at James River Assembly in Missouri when I was in college, and I worked there in the preschool department.  I have worked in children’s ministry for about a decade (wow!) and I have always loved it.  There’s something special about pouring into the hearts of little ones.. they are GENUINELY so hungry for more of JESUS.  I learned more from them sometimes than they did from me!  Ahh.. my heart!!

Once to demonstrate a point, I dressed up like Jesus.  I actually dressed up like lots of characters, some biblical, some not quite biblical (like monkeys, robots.. you know).  Fast forward a few months after I had transitioned out of the preschool department, I was shopping at Walmart when a little girl ran up to me and happily squealed, “Hi, Jesus!”

Needless to say, it certainly caught me off guard, and, truth be told, I didn’t even recognize her, as James River is a big church.  But she recognized me, and recognized me as Jesus, from the time I dressed up like that.

That event actually stayed with me, and still moves me today.  The spiritual crossover is easy to make here, people.  “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me,” the author of Galatians writes in 2:2.

We need to be mistaken for Christ.

Our lives should be SO intertwined with His, our hearts so fused with His, our passions and will so melted into His, that we are indeed mistaken for Jesus Himself.  Is that the case in your life currently?  Keep in mind that only one person can sit on the throne of your heart at a time.  The minute “self” rises up and has to say that ‘last word,’ we slowly inch Christ off that throne.  When we deliver a sarcastic remark, we get mighty close to hopping up onto that throne.

But, we become MORE like Christ when we choose to overlook an offense.  We become more like Christ when we gain perspective and the little things don’t work us up like they used to.  We become more like Christ when we learn to generously give, even out of our poverty.  We become more like Christ when we listen more than we speak.  We become more like Christ when we become the servant of all.

Today, let the people of the Church be mistaken for Christ.  Let Him take complete charge.  Let Him affect your mood, your speech, your pocketbook, your relationships, your time management.  After all, it’s not YOU who’s calling the shots here.. it’s Jesus.  And He calls them so much better anyway.

All my love,
Josh