Sitting with Jesus

How do you picture having a conversation with Jesus?

Is Jesus in the room with you?

In a recent sermon, the speaker emphasized the importance of how you approach prayer. God wants you face-to-face. Prayer is at its best when it's relational to its core. He demonstrated talking to God as two chairs facing one another, where he sat in one and God in the other. Prayer isn't just about saying words but learning to be with God. This is what makes Christianity different than other religions: our God desires to be near to us. Before you say anything, embrace the relationship dynamic.

Thus, I began picturing Jesus sitting across from me in a room or in the passenger seat of my car. Based on what I know about His character from the Bible, I imagine how He would react to my actions or what He would say. In the past couple of days, I've come to like this idea so much that I wanted to sketch it. Drawing this made me explore this picture even further.

Drawing a Picture of Jesus

To draw a picture, you must put in ink every curve. To draw a person (even a stick figure), a simple change in stroke changes how the person appears. Attempting to draw sitting with Jesus challenged the abstract silhouette figure of Jesus in my head.

What is Jesus' disposition? Surely, He has a kind smile. He is an active listener. Jesus would probably be calm and peaceful. He would even laugh.

What is Jesus' posture? Is He slouched and relaxed? Is He leaning forward, taking in every word you say? Is He leaning back, enjoying time with you and in the father's creation?

What are His arms doing? Is Jesus holding a cup at your favorite coffee shop? Are His arms open wide, ready to receive you after a long day? Is He patting you on the back or giving you a fist bump? Is He holding a tissue while you confess your sins? Is Jesus hugging you or holding your hands as you pray together?

What would the most holy and perfect human do?

How would He guide or comfort you? How does Jesus guide or comfort you? I've always been wary of imagining God in the flesh because this is God! To Him belongs worship, the utmost respect, and the biggest surrender. While God still deserves the highest position in your mind, He also deserves the sweetest position in your heart.

Of course, God is omnipresent. God is everywhere. The Holy Spirit lives inside and comforts the believer. I take great comfort that God is ever before, beside, and in front of me. I'm never without the Greatest Comforter and Shepherd.

I also take comfort when my friends come through. There's a sense of joy and relief when a friend comes through the door. I thoroughly enjoy the company of others, whether we are doing something fun, working together, or just doing our own thing in the same room. I’ll admit it. I haven’t done the best job of inviting Jesus into every moment. Maybe I'm just lacking some sleep, but I've been experiencing a different kind of peace when I picture Jesus with me. To put Jesus in the room with me has helped my prayers take a new shape. My casual daily tasks feel a little different when I imagine the greatest friend a person could ever have joining me wherever I am.

Jesus is My Personal Friend

With Easter coming up, I came across this quote by Dwight L. Moody:

A rule I have had for years is to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. His is not a creed, a mere empty doctrine, but it is He himself we have. The moment we have received Christ we should receive Him as a friend. When I go away from home I bid my wife and children good-by, I bid my friends and acquaintances good-by, but I never heard of a poor backslider going down on his knees and saying: "I have been near You for ten years; Your service has become tedious and monotonous; I have come to bid You farewell; good-by, Lord Jesus Christ." I never heard of one doing this. I will tell you how they go away; they just run away.

If getting personal with God, understanding Him better, inviting Him into every day, and learning what friendship with God means (yes, these are interrelated/nearly the same) is the goal of a Christian... scratch that. All humans are made to be in a relationship with God. If unity with God is what we are made for, then perhaps picturing Jesus in the room is a good start.

How can you make your walk with God more personal? How can you invite Him into every space of your life?

How will you love Him better and feel His overflowing love better?

Let Jesus rub off on you. You know how family members have the same mannerisms? This isn't a biological thing because I've heard this about my sister and me (we aren't related). Even close friends can take on the same gestures. Learning to be with Jesus allows you to become like Jesus. The same love that He freely bestows upon you will flow from you to those around you: "By this, the world will know that you are my disciples: if you have love for one another." How can you be on mission for God? First, you must be with God.

A Challenge For You: As Easter is coming up, and we reflect on the wonderful life of Jesus and the great love He has for us, I challenge you to picture Jesus with you today. Grab a pen and draw Jesus. This Jesus has loved you so much that He gave His life for you and has made it so that you will be raised with Him in the next life. Where is He in your life right now?

Bonus Fun Challenge: What would your ideal time with Jesus look like? Would you be in a convertible with the roof down, having the best talks (because that’s where I might choose to be)? Would you be sipping on your favorite cup of coffee? The park bench, the golf course, on the beach…

(BTW if anyone draws a picture, I'd love to see it.)

God is so powerful and mighty, yet He still seeks a personal relationship with you.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭36‬:‭5‬-‭12‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

“Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like a great deep. O Lord, You preserve man and beast. How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come upon me, And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the doers of iniquity have fallen; They have been thrust down and cannot rise.”