Making Space for Jesus
I’ve had a couple of conversions this summer. The first occurred as the result of looking around the house and realizing how much “stuff” we had accumulated in the 32 years my husband and I have been married. It was too much. So I began cleaning it out to make more space in our lives. Clothes and shoes that I haven’t worn in the past two years were donated to a local thrift shop that raises money for a women’s shelter. A vast amount of paper was recycled. Things filling our closets that we really don’t need are either being donated or will be sold in a yard sale this fall. It really does feel to me like I’m making more space for Jesus in my life.
The second conversion is occurring this week as a result of my sermon preparation for Sunday’s supply work. I’m getting ready to preach on Luke 10:38-42, the Mary and Martha story. In the story, Martha is running around distracted by the fact she has welcomed Jesus and his disciples into her home and as a result there are things to be done. Yet while she is so busy, her sister Mary, sits at Jesus’ feet listening to him talk. Martha wants Jesus to encourage Mary to help him, but instead he says she has “chosen well”.
This passage speaks to all Christians, but especially church leaders. Have we “chosen well”? We are not called to run around like Martha, distracted by her tasks and focused entirely on doing. Instead we are called to focus on “being” in the presence of Jesus, 24/7.
My conversion came in realizing that my electronic newsletter has had the wrong tagline all these years. The RevWriter Resource shouldn’t be for “busy” church leaders, but instead it should be for leaders, especially spiritual church leaders. We have too much busy in the church. We need more spiritual. We need to be in the presence of Jesus 24/7. When we are we lead from his strength, not ours.
My focus on spiritual leadership has grown this past year because of the realization that so many leaders in the church worry more about how to conduct business properly, but put little emphasis on being in the presence of Jesus. Yet as Christians everything we do should be done in Jesus’ presence.
What might it look like for you to be in Jesus’ presence in all your living and leading? How might it change the way you do things? Where can you start?