“He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30
What a gift it is to have life. What a blessing it is to belong to family and to know friends and to be part of a community. Along with these gifts come the emotional highs, lows, and plateaus touched by our spheres of influence and our own walks. No matter what happens it will behoove us to always look to Jesus and watch how he lived.
Horatio Spafford said it perfectly when he penned the words: “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul”. Saying “it is well with my soul” and truly, deep down meaning it takes so long for the human mind, will, and spirit to desire. Arriving at this desire means we finally realize where to place the proper adoration, which is on the worthy name of Jesus.
Determining “it is well with my soul whatever you plan, God” takes the focus off of the individual and places it on the finished work of Jesus. The mindset of “whatever shall come my way, let me be found grateful and pleasing to you” glorifies the Trinity. This mindset indicates a life led by the spirit, in love with Jesus, and submitted to the Father.
This mindset can only come by realizing how holy and worthy Jesus is and how blessed we are to be chosen and loved by Him, to be given grace. Once we have the correct understanding of what Jesus’ love looks like, we can strive to live emulate Him. We can have a cruciform life.
Jesus is love. A love that took off His heavenly crown and descended into earthly poverty. A love that served others not Himself. A love that allowed His earthly body to be beaten with rods and stabbed. A love whose body’s very skin was ripped off by cattails, pierced with thorns, and shamed by nudity. A love that went to hell in our place. A love that wouldn’t stay down, wouldn’t lose, and wouldn’t be ignored. This is the love, the Lord, whom we owe all love and devotion. This is the name above every other name. This is the one that is above our name.
We have been created for a purpose and by design. Our purpose is to serve the King of heaven not to celebrate ourselves as kings or queens. Jesus submitted to the will of the Father and gave the flawless example of “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul”.
“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.” Psalm 27:4
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Judith Cooley teaches Language Arts and Drama. Follow her Facebook page @pondervotional for more encouragement.
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