A few years back I picked up my friend for lunch. I immediately noticed the t-shirt she was wearing. She always wears great t-shirts with witty sayings (mostly about dogs which she and I share a love for). This one was quite different though.
Jesus leaving 99 to find 1 seems crazy until
Matthew 18:12 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
you are the 1.
I first said, “I love your t-shirt”. Then I said, “Where can I get one of those?” I wanted one because it described my life. During my childhood and teenage years, Jesus was 100% part of my life. But when I went off to college and allowed Satan’s worldly desires to influence me, I throttled Jesus down to about 50% in my life. Notice that I said “I” throttled Jesus down. Jesus never throttles down. For the next couple of decades, I kept Jesus at 50% in my life, sadly even less at times. I took my relationship with Jesus for granted. I lied to myself about how I loved Jesus and He was a part of my life. The problem was it was just that, a lie. It’s not because Jesus didn’t love me any more. It’s not because Jesus left me. It’s because I left Him. I allowed my sinful desires to put a wedge between me and Jesus. A wedge that I created not Jesus. Jesus hadn’t changed. I changed. I didn’t take the advice of Paul to the Colossians.
And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.
Colossians 3:2
It was not until I suffered a bad car accident that I finally got God’s message. I had to undergo several orthopedic surgeries and also developed a staff infection. The daily IV antibiotic made me sick as a dog. So there I was on my bathroom floor suffering and I can still remember the moment I said out loud, “God, you have my attention – I am listening – forgive me.” I remember that moment like it was yesterday. Jesus had left the 99 to come find me. In that moment I realized I had neglected my relationship with Jesus and was suffering from that neglect. I had not listened to the teachings of Isaiah.
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short
Isaiah 59:1-2
That it cannot save,
Nor His ear so impaired
That it cannot hear.
2 But your wickedness has separated you from your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
How I wasted so many years being unhappy and couldn’t figure out why. I blamed my unhappiness on failed relationships and unfulfilling jobs. I made so many bad decisions trying to find happiness in the wrong places or with the wrong people. Without realizing it, I hung my happiness around other people’s necks and on my career. When all I had to do to find true and sustainable happiness was reach back out to Jesus. Wow, did Satan ever deceive me. And the truth is that Satan was able to deceive me because I neglected my relationship with Jesus.
In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
Proverbs 3:6
Satan lied to me and I believed him because I did not keep Jesus close. Satan’s lie: “do what you want to make yourself happy”. If that is true, then why wasn’t I happy? I wasn’t happy because I was doing things that were sinful and sin never never never yields happiness. You would be deceived as I was if you ever thought sinful fun yields happiness. When sinful fun is over, the stain from the sin lingers on like a weight around your neck and you don’t even realize how Satan has deceived you or why you remain unhappy. I am extremely blessed that God let me live long enough to recognize my sinful ways were not His way. When I realized how deceived I had been, God sent Jesus to find me and He gave me the strength to change.
I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.
John 15:5
But the story doesn’t end there. Once I had Jesus back in my life at 100% capacity, all my friends started distancing themselves. Now I didn’t preach to them and tell them I was right and they were wrong. I merely told them that what I was doing was against God and I was going to change and follow Him 100% of the time. Some of them debated me on how I was living my life and how they were living theirs wasn’t sinful. It was like I was a mirror into their soul and they didn’t like what they saw. So, they became more and more distance until I didn’t hear from them at all.
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword [of division between belief and unbelief]. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his [own] household [when one believes and another does not].
Matthew 10:34-36
It was not too long after that I was praying to God that I would like to meet someone I could be friends with that shared my love for Him. Someone I could go shopping with or to have lunch with or just talk about Jesus. And wouldn’t you know it? One of my neighbors started a Bunco group in my neighborhood and she and I became the best of friends. In fact, she is the very friend that I picked up for lunch that day and was wearing the t-shirt. Since then I have met several people that have become my dear friends and love Jesus as much as I do. Isn’t God wonderful?
9 God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on], and through Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:9
Now I have true happiness because God is in my life 100% of the time, in everything I do, and in every decision I make.
