Jesus: Reality At It’s Best

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:3

As I read the news this morning, I came across a story about police officers who were shot and killed in Pittsburgh by a man
having a domestic argument with his mother. The officers who responded were not given the vital information that the subject
had weapons in his residence. During the initial 911 call, his mother told the dispatcher that he owned guns and that they were all 'legal'. At this point the dispatcher should have asked more questions about the type and location of the weapons. The information that the guns were present and accessible should have been given to the responding units for their own safety and this along with the additional information, that was not gathered, could have made a life saving difference.

I share this with you today because I truly believe that what happened here was not intentional. It is a by product of becoming comfortable, complacent and sometimes weary with the day to day almost routine situations we all see. Each of us experience repetitiveness in our lives. We eat at the same places, we see the same people, we hear the same stories over and over again. In our jobs, we may do the same tasks again and again day in and day out. What would normally set off an alarm bell in our minds or souls, we have become accustomed to and it not longer seems significant.

Our spiritual lives can fall victim to this repeat syndrome as well. We all have tendency to be intrigued by the new, the exciting or the different. If our devotional or spiritual walk becomes routine we get bored. If we get bored, we get lax and grow weary. We start looking for what will make our blood churn and our hearts beat faster so we can feel the thrill we once did. And sometimes, those quests bring sin and death with them instead of life and glory.

We have to continuously ask God to be at work within us, around us and through us. We need to keep our eyes open, our ears listening and our hearts attentive to his Spirit. We have everything to be excited about in Jesus. He lowered himself to our level so we could be raised to His in His name. If you feel yourself getting 'bored' reread the gospels and remind yourself of the sacrifice he made. It's better than any thriller novel or movie you will ever read or see. It's reality drama at its best!

God I thank you for reminding me today that I cannot allow myself to be comfortable in my job, my family life or my spiritual journey. Complacency leaves room for the enemy to take a foothold and influence my decisions and actions. May your story always be what thrills my heart and humbles my soul.

Look to the true story of Jesus for the best reality show you will ever see or experience. Ask God to bring it to you in living color by working in and through your life today!