Just Look at Jesus

by Sarah Bentley

Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. (John 15:4, TLV)

I was overwhelmed. I hadn’t had quiet time in months. With a 1.5 and a 2.5 year old, my daily time with God had dwindled to Please be here today in the mornings, and I missed you today at night. Motherhood can feel like survival mode in the best cases. Even more so during a lockdown.

I sat on the couch, with my children fighting over my lap, and I began to cry. I missed my time with Jesus. I was exhausted. I felt sorry for myself. Then my daughter took my face in her hands and looked me deep in the eyes. And in that moment, she was Jesus to me. I realised that I hadn’t been inviting Jesus into my day to day. And he graciously had kept his distance. But at my breaking point, he stepped in, grabbed my face, and lovingly said, “I’m still here.” And do you know what? Everything got better.

No he didn’t remove the bad. Or fix my problems in one fell swoop. He shifted my perspective. I worshiped, I reoriented. And the clouds cleared.

I don’t have the time to abide like I used to. But Jesus reminded me that he promised to abide in me too. I don’t have to lock myself away to find his presence. I can just invite him into my moment.

The world would have you “grit your teeth and bear it” when things are tough. I did it for months. Don’t force yourself to look at things differently. Just look at Jesus. And when you can feel his presence with you, everything will fall into place. The perspective shift WILL come, if you invite Jesus into your moment. Not because you tried hard enough, but because he is gracious to transform us when we’re not looking.

In Christ,

Sarah Bentley

For Reflection:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)

1. How has the current season affected your patterns of abiding?
2. Have you been trying to “grit your teeth and bear it” in any part of your life? Is it time to invite Jesus into it?
3. How has God transformed you as a result of being in his presence?