The Power of Resource

    I often wonder how Jesus did it. How did he humbly seek to understand those with such contrasting beliefs? How did he willingly extend compassion and empathy, despite his feelings? How did he look into the eyes of his oppressors and offer a smile? Really, how did he love so well? Not too long ago, I found myself questioning the relatability of Jesus. If he was still fully God, didn’t that mean Jesus had the upper hand during his time on earth? Surely he hadn’t experienced the magnitude of life on a sinful earth, due to the complete perfection of God. Perhaps it’s unfair of him to expect so much of us, considering the circumstances we’ve been born into. In case you were wondering, asking questions like these does not make you a bad Christian. In fact, it can be healthy to question your beliefs, as long as those questions lead you toward God’s truth and not away from him. Thankfully, in all of my questioning, God has responded in a way that he knows I can understand and that would anchor my faith. 
    Consider this. If Jesus hadn’t fully embodied the human experience as we do every day, all of its temptations, its pain, and its unpredictability, wouldn’t that have made his purpose completely irrelevant? In other words, if Jesus, being fully human like you and me, did not have the capacity to sin, wouldn’t that make our efforts to live like Christ completely unattainable?
    There is a specific reason God sent Jesus to earth as a baby, having to grow up in a broken world where his proximity to God and his reliance on him is the same as experienced by you and me. The reason is this: Jesus needed to show humanity that living a life as surrendered and sinless as he did is fully attainable! Yes, you read that correctly. You and I have the ability to live just as purely as Jesus did. He did not use the divine power of God to weaken temptations or to make his life on earth any less challenging than you and I know it to be. Instead, Jesus submerged himself into the presence of God, so much that sin simply had no way in, and this, my friend, is no less true for you in today’s culture. 
    Over the past few weeks, many have felt the tension and anxiety within American politics. There have been endless debates, harsh words, and disagreements amongst Americans and non-Americans. With either candidate winning the role of presidency, feelings of frustration, anger, and denial were inevitable. If there was ever a time Christians have wondered about Jesus’ ability to love, it is surely now. How do you face the discomfort brought on by friends who voted against your beliefs? How do you peacefully coexist with those completely different from you?
    We can do it in the same way that Jesus did, by a direct connection to a perfect God. The truth is, when difficult situations like this arise, God isn’t taken by surprise, nor does he act in a way that contradicts his character, and neither should we. Because God knew just how difficult it would be to live with such a mindset in this world, he intentionally equipped us with a survival kit, the same kit that Jesus relied on when he walked this earth.
    We have been freely given a spirit of patience, understanding, wisdom, and kindness. Within our DNA is the unwavering power to love, respect, forgive, and listen before we speak. I genuinely believe that if we had any idea of who lives inside of us, if we had any clue of how capable we are of success, that we would approach life far more courageously. We wouldn’t become so easily shaken by our circumstances or approach trials with an attitude of defeat. We wouldn’t allow our differences to create insurmountable walls or live with an attitude of “I’ll love you if…”. Rather, we would boldly access our heavenly resources in order to live confidently, as we’re called to live. Jesus did this whole “life on earth thing” first, so that we could look at his life with hope, hope that while so many odds are stacked against us, our flesh is no match for Christ’s power inside of us.  
    Dear reader, my prayer is that you would, first, internalize the empathy Jesus has for you. Meditate on the truth that he completely understands how easy it is to conform to this world. He understands how little effort it takes to hate and not love, to slander and not respect, to argue and not listen. He understands, and because he does, he hasn’t left you to live a life of purity on your own (John 14:16). I pray that you access the resources that were guaranteed to you the moment you chose to believe in your Creator. In doing so, living a life like Jesus wouldn’t seem so impossible after all.

Exodus 31:3
“And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills...”