March 22: SEEING THE POSSIBILITIES

Now when [Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. John 2:23-25

Sometimes the only way to break free from misconceptions is through disillusionment. God can, and often does, engineer circumstances in order to reveal a false impression in my mind. But the experience of being disillusioned is only a partial step toward spiritual maturity. The next step is to look entirely to God—not to people—for the needed correction. Failure to push through with faith toward God leaves only negative character traits in the wake of the experience. Sadly, there are many who name the name of Christ who become cynical, critical, and judgmental of others.

The essential requirement of giving the Lord first place in my life lays the foundation for entering into an ongoing relationship with Him, partaking in His wonderful plan for restoration and salvation, and providing a lens through which I am to view my fellow, fallen human beings. Loving the LORD God above all else frees me to love others without unrealistic expectations of perfection from them. To have such an unrealistic expectation, is to demand something that they are not capable of giving.

In loving the Lord supremely, we are enabled to see others as He sees them. His confidence lay, not in the weakened and damaged character of individuals to “self-correct”, but in the power of what God’s imparted grace could do within each one. Jesus did not put trust in anyone. Rather, He trusted His Father who is all about restoration of that which was lost by sin. When we place our trust thusly, our view of others is changed by a recognition of what they can become by grace. This actually fuels a positive, graceful input into the lives of those around us. Supreme love for Him allows His grace to work within you and me. That very grace finds its way into our words and actions towards others.

The Lord’s reserve indicated in today’s opening passage shows not only the correct placement for faith, but also the joy of hopefulness in place of despair for those around us whom we love. Conversely, every human relationship that is not based upon faithfulness to the Lord is headed for disaster. Jesus was never bitter, nor did He ever display a suspicious attitude. He had a simple, wonderful way of stating plain facts.

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38