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 that 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 are cynical, critical, and judgmental of others.

The essential need of holding the Lord in first place is not only the foundation for entering into an ongoing relationship with Him, partaking in His wonderful plan for restoration and salvation, but also a lens through which we are to view our fellow, fallen human beings. Loving the LORD God above any and all else frees us to love others without the unrealistic expectation of perfection from anyone else. When we have such an unrealistic expectation, we are actually demanding something that he or she is not capable of giving. But, in loving the Lord supremely, we grow in ability to see others as He sees them. His confidence lay, not in the weakened and damaged character of individuals, but in the power of what God’s grace could do within each one. Jesus did not put trust in anyone. Rather, He trusted in 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 broadened into what they can become by grace. This actually fuels a positive, graceful input into the lives of those around us. God’s grace at work in each of us 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 for those around us whom we love. 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