Following Judah's Lion

If I Be Lifted Up...

A man starts to share to his friend about his fiancé. He tells him about all the different restaurants they go to and all the different foods they eat. He goes on to inform him about the movies they’ve seen together and the similar tastes they have. This man describes her car and the part of the city in which she lives.

Now at this point his friend interrupts him and asks him to describe the fiancé herself because up to this point he has only spoken of the things they do. So his friend begins again, and he tells his friend about all the rules they’ve established about their relationship. He says they have agreed to watch what they say to each other and to put parameters on their physical relationship. They’ve agreed not to drink alcohol and to avoid drugs.

Again his friend interrupts and asks the friend to describe his fiancé, not all the rules they’ve established. Now this man starts to tell his friend all about many other couples with which they disagree. He tells him that so many couples drink and stay out to all hours of the night. He tells his friend that he and his fiancé would never do that, and in fact they doubt whether these couple were even engaged. This man goes on to tell his friend that many of these couples don’t even believe in the accepted definition of what a couple is, and in that in and of itself means they are not even a couple.

By now the listening friend becomes frustrated and once again asks his engaged friend,

“Man, what does your fiancé look like? What does she sound like? What qualities does she have? Can you describe your love together? I mean, how do you personally feel about her?”

The friend answered,

“What are talking about? I just told you all that.”

How many people talk about their rules and stands on issues, and in that they let that become their description of the Savior? How many speak of the ones with which they disagree and again that suffices to describe their Savior? How many speak of compassionate deeds done in His name, and those will describe the glorious Lord? How many speak of their particular church or shade of theology, and never really speak of the Living Christ? How many are consumed with letting everyone know with whom they disagree and yet never breathlessly sharing their intimate relationship with the their Friend and Master?

How many speak predominately about Jesus couched in a antiseptic, doctrinal dissertation without ever revealing a walk that resembles a little child with his Creator?

Jesus is more than a date and much more than part of a well rounded earthly experience. Jesus is more than rules, more than what he isn’t, more than a doctrinal test, Jesus is our everything. Start there and work your way out. You have all eternity to communicate Who Jesus is through words, lives, and emotions. People will listen to someone who has had a genuine encounter and relationship.

A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument.

Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me.”