“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
God I see now that You gave up Your Son, but You did not abandon Him.
Jesus, You gave up Your right to be recognized and understood, You emptied Yourself of Your ego and surrendered Your life, but You did not abandon who You were. You knew who You were and that was enough. Your purpose in coming to earth wasn’t to prove who You were, although You did accomplish that, too. Your purpose was to bring reconciliation.
I think I’m starting to get what it means to have the same attitude as You did when You approached mankind as a human. The healthy way to follow Your example is not to deny our worth or our identity, but to allow the knowledge that we know who we are and You know who we are to be enough, no matter what others think. We empty ourselves of the desire to be understood, so we can learn how to understand. We seek reconciliation, not recognition. We release the ego’s need to be validated and seek instead to advocate the needs of others.
Your recognition and validation is all I need. I come to You for that. I don’t have to get it from others. I don’t need to try to make others hold space for me because I know I am seen and heard by You, I can be Your example by holding space for them. By listening to them. By addressing their needs. People are not responsible for doing that for me. I am responsible for doing that for myself by looking to You and listening to You.
That is how I don’t abandon myself. I don’t tell myself my needs don’t matter. I acknowledge my needs to You and You’ve promised to meet those needs. Sometimes You will use others to provide for me, just as God used others to provide for You. I can depend on You just like You depended on Your Father.
Now I can stop trying to defend myself and start being more vulnerable in conversations where I’m feeling misunderstood. I can stop focusing on myself and be more curious about the other person. I can let go of my frustrations, fears, worries, and anger by writing them down and processing them with You to feel heard, cared about, comforted, and affirmed.
You looked at the bigger picture when You interacted with people each day. You focused on that and not the struggle. When I also focus on the bigger picture of reconciliation, I won’t get bogged down in the daily struggles of communicating with others, because I not trying to convince people of my worth or control their perceptions of me.
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility consider one another better than yourselves. Let each of you look carefully not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:1-8
Amen!
Conversations With Jesus 