Reactions to Christ

Hi everyone. I would like to talk a little bit today about reactions. I don't mean those knee jerk reactions we get on a daily basis, like hitting anyone who pulls out a checkbook in the checkout line in the back of the head. I'm talking about those reactions that have shaped our lives since we were young. Have you ever thought about how much your past has shaped the present? If you had overbearing protective parents, maybe you find it harder to punish your kids than your spouse does. Or on the flipside, maybe you are trying to keep the control on your kids that was lacking in your own upbringing. Of course, not all of these life-shaping experiences have been bad. Perhaps you played catch with your dad every Friday afternoon and now you are upholding the tradition with your son. Good or bad however, there is no doubt that these experiences changed us in lasting and significant ways. We follow the good examples set by our parents and go out of our way to avoid the childhood pitfalls. If you are still a child, no doubt you've started to separate the good from the bad and thought more than once "I'm never going to do that to my kids." Nothing has shaped who we are today more than the decisions of our parents, good or bad.

At this point you are probably thinking, "Okay, so what?"

I want to consider what a life would look like that is completely reactionary to the examples set and words spoken by Jesus. At this point you might be thinking, "That's not fair. Jesus never had to raise my teenager!" True, Jesus was never a flesh and blood parent, but He knows all of us better than anyone else. Luke 22:44 says that Jesus sweat blood in the garden as he prayed one of His final prayers. John 17:20 tells us what he prayed about. The answer: future generations. He sweat blood while praying so earnestly for...you and me. For our children and our parents. Jesus knew all of us by name. It is for us that He taught and lived. To give us a light to follow. It is never too late to live a life that is completely reactionary to the life of Jesus. We can all start today. Jesus himself told us what to do to live a life in His shadow. And those pesky teenagers, alive now or in the future to come, can learn to follow Jesus by reacting to you.

By Aaron Blackwell