Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. (John 14:10 NAS95)
When I consider Jesus’ relationship with the Father, I fill with awe. I long to live out of the same center He did — uninterrupted attention and communication with His Father. He lived a tranquil and peaceful life from a tranquil and peaceful interior of love enflamed by the Father’s presence. I’d also love to have His awareness of God’s involvement in His life. This sentence just flows as normal from His awareness while in a conversation with others, His disciples. He speaks as though normal interaction with anyone includes a conscious awareness of God’s communication and involvement. Jesus lived full of faith in His Father’s presence and interaction with Him. He assumes this as normal and expects everyone to catch it. This reveals just what God intended in His design of man to reflect His glory. That means you and me.
I find the ability to maintain this centered awareness of God and His involvement my life to be one of the deepest battles in my soul. So much distracts me — signaling a lack of peace and tranquility in the assurance and awareness of God’s presence and love with me. Yet I get glimmers of hope from time to time. A victory here and there. Sentences like this from Jesus mouth “not…My initiative, but the Father abiding in Me” draw me to the awareness that God longs for this, and since Jesus modeled it, I can see the potential and ask God to help me toward it. Other passages such as “imitate Christ” tell me others thought that living from such a tranquil center is possible. Father, I want to live in this way, and imitate Jesus. Will You help me?
For Reflection:
“For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield.” (Psalms 5:12 NAS95)
- What does it take for you to live from a centered position secure in God’s presence and love?
- Look back and recall times when immediate circumstances held challenges. What characterized times where you remained peaceful? What characterized times where peacefulness crumbled?
