The other day, I found myself sitting in a restaurant alone, as my friend was running late. As I waited, I decided to jot down some thoughts about what Jesus means to me and what I love most about Him. This is what I came up with:
His acceptance
Jesus never condemns me. His understanding, patience, and forgiveness are unique. Even when He chides, He does it in love. He has a way of speaking to my heart and convicting me of my wrongdoing that makes me want to change and be a better person.
His help
The Bible tells us to cast all our cares upon Jesus, because He cares for us.1. My will, skills, and self-control are puny compared to His power. Much of my best work as a translator and a writer has come from moments in which I was clueless about what to write or how to express a thought, and suddenly, out of the blue, God manifested Himself with a good idea or a flowing paragraph.
His mercy
Jesus has such a great way of looking at people! He is always so positive, even when I’m irritated. He never loses faith in people. In the Old Testament, when God’s people rebelled time and again, even though He chastised them, He never gave up on them, and always offered deliverance, a way to repent, and encouragement to turn around and try again.
His universality
Mother Teresa said that she saw Jesus in every human being. One day He is dressed as a beggar and another as a king. One day He wears the attire of a businessman, and the next, the work clothes of a laborer. He puts himself at everyone’s level.
His plans
I love that I can put my life in His hands and trust that He will help me chart the best course. The poet Robert Burns penned, “The best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry.” But if I involve Him in charting my way, I can have confidence that the final destination will be splendid, even if I have to go through some rough patches to get there.
Why not take a few minutes of thankfulness and reflection and pen your own list of what you love about Jesus? It’s a refreshing activity, and you can refer to it anytime your vision gets cloudy.
- See 1 Peter 5:7.↑