By Marietta Grundy
Do you yearn to be in the presence of our Lord?
As a grandmother I know that our little grandkids love to be around us. If we go to another room they soon follow us in there.
Now that changes greatly when they become teens, we know! But that aspect of wanting to be around other people is something we can learn from and its what I want to talk about today. The question is: Do other people want to be around us as Christians? Are we attractive to other people because they can see Christ reflected in us? Or not?
It’s part of our calling to allow people to see Jesus Christ inside us. Yes, he will shine forth from us if we take seriously such promises as John 14:15. This is the part that says “you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you.” Philippians 1:6 says Jesus has begun a good work in us and that means we get to inherit some beautiful spiritual blessings. These include things we all need every day, things such as power, love, grace, healing, peace, joy, comfort, the strength to cope,wisdom, understanding, help with decisions, a sound mind and eternal life.
That’s quite a list but these blessings become accessible to us when we are closely connected to Jesus Christ. They are the things that make us attractive to others. 2 Corinthians 2:15 speaks of this when it say of Christians “we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God.”1 Corinthians 12:27 says we are the body of Christ. We are his representatives on earth now doing his work. He is in us and we are in Him. Colossians 1:26-27 is that old standby that says “Christ in us, the hope of glory.” That explains how we can reflect his glory – its what’s inside that counts (Ephesians 3:21).
Now how can we make sure we stay close enough to God to partake of His presence? So much so that others will be attracted to Christ in us?
There is one sure way and that is to be singing our praises to God. Praise and thanksgiving are the keys that open the way to God and keep us in his presence. The Psalms talk continually about entering into his presence with praise and into his gates with thanksgiving. And what do we have to be thankful about? For starters we can give God thanks for the clothes on our back and the roof over our head. A lot of people don’t have any certainty about those things anymore and we know down inside we owe God praise and thanksgiving for a lot more than that.
Hebrews 13:15 talks about the sacrifices of praise that we are to manifest. And that says it very well. When we spend our time in God’s presence coming from an attitude of praise and thanksgiving we will fulfill what it says in 2 Corinthians 3:18, we will “behold the glory of God and be changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another.” That’s quite a statement isn’t it, but if Jesus is inside us that’s all that counts. He can not only change us to be more like Him but he will make others want to be around us, to enjoy even more of His presence because…its what’s inside that counts.
(Mother and grandmother Marietta Grundy has been an active Glendora church member across four decades. She is part of a leadership team that brings hope and encouragement to a seniors group in San Dimas, CA every Sunday.)