Five Minutes In The Mind of Jay

I once had a taxi driver who was of the Sikh Religion. I asked him why He believed what he believed in. His answer was like most people who are part of (and practicing) a religion; he said "I want to get closer to God."

I responded with this "what if I told you that there is an easier way to see God then to perform religious rituals? What if I told you I hear from God and you could to?"

Sounds crazy to most, but not to anybody who is religious or believes in some kind of God. This includes a Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Jew etc because there is an expectation that there is a day coming that they will see God (of some sort) face to face. Whether that's after they die or; through some type of spiritual enlightenment whilst they are alive.

There is a huge difference between Christianity and other religions; it's the promise of encountering God now. Also how you view Him now, will determine how you see Him in the next life (not in a fanciful way); and it's not based on how 'good' you are or how much moral striving and effort you put into yourself that will prepare you for that day you see Him that matters.

Most people say that Jesus Christ was a 'good man' and Jesus said this about Himself;

“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.....

Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works (miracles etc) themselves.”

John 14:9, 11 NKJV

And let me tell you about the greatest 'work' Jesus did to show us all what God is like. He went to the cross to die for those who hate Him and rose again, from death to life, for all of those that believe this, they are found in Him. Just like Jesus is found in the Father and vice versa.  

How does what Jesus did reveal to me who God the Father is? It reveals an immense grace and mercy, patience and kindness; when I realise the years I hated God, ignored God and rejected God were all deserving of my death sentence and separation from Him forever.

Why so harsh you might ask? Well, I want you to think about people who have hurt you and are certainly not deserving of your forgiveness. After all, you're validated in your offense; they did wrong by you, hurt you maybe even destroyed parts of your life or a friends life or maybe they just don’t think about you. This result is never wanting to be with them again, well at least not until justice is served (however that looks to you).

 Now let me ask you this, if that person you're thinking of received a death sentence for those crimes against you, would you even think about exchanging your life for theirs? Doubt it. But, this is why I love God so much. I saw Jesus for who He really was, recognized that He fully represented who God is and said to myself; I want to be with this God, who loves me so much and all of a sudden everything wasn’t God’s fault; it was mine and worse then that, He paid the price for what I had done wrong.

How does this equate to ‘seeing’ God now? Because I now know how much He loves me, I am no longer afraid of how He will be toward me after I die (even the way He is toward me now). And this is also sealed by the gift of His Spirit within me; which will never leave me. This is how I hear God now also. And this is what I told the Sikh taxi driver. It’s all so very relational. And this is what God is; Relational in every way.

There is one catch though; once in Jesus, we must also do for our enemies, what God did for us. Love them and forgive them. And this last sentence was my whole point. But without acknowledging who God is by how He is toward us, it’s impossible to even conceive of loving our enemy and we wouldn't even have a clue where to start or what that looks like.

Un-forgiveness and bitterness blocks our ability to hear from God relationally. And every single Christian, no matter how many years you've worked or served, or how much you've invested, you’re at risk of this as much as the next. Maturity is displayed in how quickly you can forgive or not be offended at all.

This also leads to pride. It hardens our heart. And if your heart is hardened God tends to get to the point of using a jackhammer to get to it. Ever had a jackhammer on your heart? Neither have I, but I am sure it would hurt. This is the point at which the fall comes. Pride comes before the fall and falling hurts. God does this for His own sake and for yours. He wants you back and will make sure He gets you back, even if it costs you everything this time.

Why am I writing this blog? I am not sure to be exact. This is how my mind flows in thought! From thinking about a Sikh Taxi driver I once spoke to, to thinking about Jesus and how He relates to us. So there you go. Five minutes in Jays brain.

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