Jesus Way...

The Jesus Way

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my "Jesus Music" as I call it. I love to get on the mower, put in my earbuds, turn on the music, and spend time mowing and listening to my "Jesus Music". When I have the opportunity and privilege to help my husband with the hay, I'm on the open-station tractor with my earbuds while raking with the V-rake. Although I must admit, I like the sidebar rake more than the V-rake. Just a side note! This time is therapy for me—my time with God and music. Plus, I get a little work done too.

Phil Wickham released a song called "The Jesus Way". According to my husband, this is my song. I try hard to live "The Jesus Way". There are lyrics "If you curse me, then I will bless you, If you hurt me, I will forgive. And if you hate me, then I will love you. I choose the Jesus way". Shameless plug here. Look the song up. You will understand.

There are often people in our lives who hurt us continually. We allow that hurt. We don't ask for it, but we do allow it. We know that it will happen, but we go back repeatedly because we try to live as Jesus asks. Is that okay? I don't know. I do know that Jesus allows the hurt to strengthen us.

I don't know why, but the verse in Ephesians 3:12 stands out to me. When seeking the verse for this blog, this verse is the one I needed to include. "In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him." How does this fit? The Greek word (παρρησία) for boldness is parrēsia. The Blue Letter Bible states this word means "freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech. openly, frankly, i.e without concealment. without ambiguity". Because of Christ's crucifixion on the cross, we have free access to God. We can come to Him boldly with confidence knowing that we did nothing to deserve grace, but he freely gives it. That boldness, freedom to speak, and openness allow us to show God's grace through our actions. Knowing we are going to be persecuted, hurt, rejected, and shunned, we can still go back time after time to give the grace to others that God so freely gave to us. In essence, the Jesus way. Psalms 27:10 says "Though my father and mother foresake me, the Lord will receive me." John 15:18 says, "If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first".

You see, there will be times people will hurt us, reject us, foresake us, and as my grandson would say, "be mean to us". But if we truly live the Jesus way, we will forgive. We will go back again. We will understand that if we try to live as Jesus lived, we can't become hardened by these things. I asked my husband yesterday, "Why can't I harden my heart and things not hurt?" What I love about striving to live for Jesus is that if we stop and be still, He will show us the way. His way!. The Jesus way!

Oh, and, here are a few more lines as to why I love this song.

"I follow Jesus

He wore my sin, I'll gladly wear His name

He is the treasure

He is the answer

Oh, I choose the Jesus way

And I choose surrender

I choose to love

Oh, God my Savior, You'll always be enough

I choose forgiveness

I choose grace

I choose to worship, no matter what I face

I choose the Jesus way."

Phil Wickham