To Whom Do We Belong

Fun fact, there are only 11 people with my last name. If you come across this name, spelled in this way, they are one of mine. It’s simple but makes me think of who we are as Christians. This last name is a signal that you are one of my people. What signifies us as those who belong to Jesus? What is it about us that sets up apart? And what does that mean for our lives?

We are not our own. Speaking on sexual immorality, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6 “You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” This isn’t just about sex. It’s about the entirety of our lives. 

I’m constantly talking to congregants and myself about what it means to live in glad submission to Jesus. The idea is that we can’t just do what we want when we want, how we want. In truth, that’s not even true freedom. The pursuit of our endless, unsatisfying desires, is its own kind of prison. 

We don’t live in a state of existence where we’re just floating by trying to find our joy and peace under any rock we happen to look under. One of the reasons the doctrine of adoption is so beautiful is that it gives us direction and a home. We know where we belong, to whom we belong, and where our identity is found. 

We are daughters and sons of the King. If that is true then our lives belong to him. 

Difficult Decisions 

Life not being about the vain pursuit of happiness doesn’t mean that we aren’t faced with difficult decisions. A lot of us are going through it right now. We find ourselves in the midst of needing to make seemingly impossible decisions. 

Following Jesus doesn’t mean we don’t have to make hard choices. It doesn’t mean that the right choices are laid out before us and all we have to do is follow. In fact, with the world presented before us, we often suffer from an abundance of good choices. 

The question we must ask ourselves is why? Why are you making this choice? What’s motivating you? Sometimes when neither option before you is sinful, you simply have to decide, no matter how difficult the choice may be. 

Jesus said he would be with us always. That means if you go left or right, he is there with you. And a bonus: his grace is so big and so deep and so wide that he can even redeem the bad choices we make. 

I hope that is liberating for you today. That may mean you can stop fighting and find rest. That may mean you can say no to the job. That may mean you can simply say no, without explanations or hesitations. And maybe, you can even say yes. 

Bought With a Price

Like the old hymn says: Jesus paid it all. With our debt paid, he offers us the free gift of salvation. He offers us hope. He offers us a home. 

I think about this a lot. The life of submission to Jesus doesn’t get easier. Joy in Christ is something we pursue each day. Difficult decisions abound but may we filter them through the lens of the one who bought us. 

Jesus reminds us that the greatest commandments are to love God and love one another. His death, burial, and resurrection are what make this possible. If our lives are changed by this truth both vertically and horizontally that should serve as a good guide in the difficulties of life. 

I called my Grandmother last week. Like no one else, she can detect the subtle changes in my tone. This was the end of our exchange:

Nana: You’re going to be alright.

Me: I hope so.

Nana: Not you hope so, you know so. You know who you and you know whose hand you’re holding.

May it be true Nana, may it be true.