When Jesus Becomes Our Focus

Have you noticed how much disunity there in the church today.  Is it just me or does everybody seem to be looking for a theological fight! It’s no wonder the world looks on in disbelief and apathy as God’s people continue to pick sides in the doctrinal wars of 2008. I’ve been a follower of Jesus for some 30 years now and one thing I’ve realized and experienced in that time is that there is an amazing thing that happens when we focus our attention on Jesus. We become more unified. When Jesus becomes the object of my affection and my devotion other people who have also made Jesus the object of their affection and devotion become family. I just want to hug them, give them a high five, and worship with them. They may be angry calvanist who want to fight about every doctrinal argument that comes down the pike or crazy charismatics who feel like I don’t really get the Holy Spirit – it doesn’t matter how conflicting our theological views are in regard to baptism, the second coming of Jesus, communion, etc. if we are both utterly and completely impressed with Jesus we’ve got something powerful in common - something that transcends all those non-essential issues that always seem to divide us as a church.  Bono was recently quoted as saying  “religion is what happens when the spirit leaves the room.” That may be one of may favorite quotes of the decade and perhaps one of my top ten of all time. The renewal that is so needed in America will not come until until Jesus once again becomes the object of our affection. We gotta get the spirit back in the room! Don’t you think there is a  whole lot of dead religion getting in the way of real renewal? Religion that seems to come to the surface when we fail to focus our attention of the Lord Jesus. As we focus on Him we can’t help but be brought together.  But remember and be forwarned, all those non-essentials, those details of the faith that we want to make into essentials – well something strange and wonderful will begin to happen to them -they will begin to shrink in significance when the presence of Jesus looms.

~ by bobswan on October 9, 2008.