It All Comes Back
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:5-14
Insight
What comes to our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us. It influences our words, thoughts, actions, emotions, and sense of identity. We all have a different viewpoint of who God is and what He should do. When we hear the word "GOD," our minds try to figure out who He is, what He's like, what He's passionate about, etc. We do this to explain the world around us, deal with our questions about life, justify our behavior, or push our agenda.
Over time, we develop a picture of God - sometimes it comes from our parents, culture, our friends, circumstances we face, and a host of other different things. But, we rarely take the time to reflect on where our picture of God came from and whether it lines up with the God presented in Scripture.
In our quest for understanding, we naturally gravitate toward attempting to explain God away. We foolishly believe the best way to understand is to reduce. We break complicated things, like God, down into their parts. Understanding and explaining are essential in our pursuit of God. However, if we make those matter too much, we will miss what our heart is looking for, namely God Himself.
The ways of God run against the wisdom of the world in which we live. We tend to rely on knowledge that rests on our understanding and comprehension. Yet, we don't understand God by breaking down principles and doctrines but by looking up and having our eyes expanded. We'll never worship a God who we have all figured out. God invites our questions because He knows they incite a conversation. God didn't create a system for us to live in but instead invites us into a relationship to find life. Jesus came to confound our expectations of what God is truly like.
It all comes back to Jesus. We begin to understand God's character, nature, and heart by setting our eyes on Him. He is full of grace and truth, and it is from His fullness that we receive grace upon grace. Grace continually expands and makes us see more.
This is an invitation to imagine: to lay aside what we think about God and instead imagine. Imagine the deepest desires of our soul being filled. Imagine the burdens of our hearts being held, honored, and redeemed. Imagine those pure longings of our hearts being satisfied in Christ. Now, imagine if God were the God we wanted and had been searching for our whole life.
Reflection
What would it look like for God to reintroduce Himself to you? Where do you need to see Him with fresh eyes?
Prayer
God, my thoughts are not Your thoughts. My ways are not Your ways. You are greater than anything I can imagine. Thank you for providing me grace upon grace as I continue to pursue and understand Your heart. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.