Watch With Me:

Seeking the perspective of Jesus

“You’ll never understand a man ‘til you stand in his shoes and look at the world through his eyes.” (Quote by Atticus Finch, a character in To Kill a Mockingbird.)

“Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.”

Hebrews 4:15-16 (Contemporary English Version)

The voices come through louder when I’m under stress. You know the ones I am talking about - those voices we heard in our past which have taken on their own persona and have become our own voice to our self. I’m sure you will understand what I mean when I share with you the past voices which followed me into manhood. You may even recognize them from you own self-talk. These voices say, “Let’s go! Hurry it up! Get it in gear! Hustle! You’re lazy! Good for nothing! If it’s going to happen, you’ve got to be the one that makes it happen!” These voices, although well-meaning originally, created a ticking clock within me that says, “TWO MINUTE WARNING!” This hurry-up clock challenges my sleep, my rest, and yes, even my fellowship with Christ. Are you connecting with what I am saying? I know I am not alone, especially in the last example, for I hear people all the time saying that they don’t have time to pray or read the Bible or be in a discipleship group. These people are so burdened with life that they fear if they ever stop treading water, they will drown. To survive, they have reduced their life to basic fundamentals of survival and, in doing so, they have been led astray from the greatest source that could help them. It is no coincidence that the voices of our past, which evolved into our own voice to self, sound strangely familiar with another voice… the voice of the Accuser. It’s not so surprising when we understand that he will do anything within his lying DNA to distract us from the Source of our help, especially when we need it most. Don’t you think it is important to learn how to recognize our enemy’s voice and the way he tries to distract, disable, and disillusion us? Let’s challenge his tactics.

“How can we learn to discern the voice of our enemy?” I am often asked. Well, I’ve got good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that we don’t stand a chance on our own. He is just too skilled and slippery for us to sniff it out as mere mortals. He can and most likely has deceived everyone at some time, except the ONE who will help us discern the Accuser’s voice, the ONE who has faced every temptation and resisted, the ONE who will intercede, give wisdom and teach us. He is the King of kings, the ONE who will come to us and help us, the ONE who has established His throne in heaven and in our hearts. He is the ONE and only, Jesus Christ!! (I feel like standing up and clapping!!) In fact, if you want to stand up and clap for Jesus as you read this, go to it, for He deserves it. He came down from His place in heaven in order to face every temptation we face and resist them as a man, even though He was God. He knows exactly what we are feeling and how to guide us when we are confused and accused by the enemy because He was a man. He is our Advocate, our Teacher, and our best Friend. He will step in the face of our enemy when we are tempted and tell him to “BACK OFF!!” if we ask Him to do so. The question is: are you asking for His help or are you trying to stand and fight by yourself? If you are doing this, you are leaving aside the most powerful weapon in your arsenal, which is the person of Jesus Christ and His help. If we are going to overcome the voice of the Accuser, then we must learn to listen to and follow the voice of our Shepherd, and it will often smack in the face of most battle plans. Here's an example:

Last week I drove my motorcycle over to a favorite place in order to spend some extended time with the Lord in prayer. This place has a beautiful stream that comes from a high volume spring flowing from deep below the Ozark hills. Past the mouth of the spring, trout are seen swimming and teasing an angler to throw a fly in their direction. I took my chair next to the stream, for it was isolated from any other people. Being away from distractions is a major criterion for time alone with the King for me. I went to this place with an agenda, for you see I have been involved in the lives of many men as of late who are going through some horrific personal struggles. I have felt that I was letting them down, and that I was not devoting enough time in intercessory prayer for them. “What kind of minister neglects the most important aspect of his ministry?” is one of the voices I often hear. So, I decided to catch up and this was my agenda. With my performance-driven personality leading me, I headed off to this wonderful place to get done what needed to be done, or so I thought.

It was a cool morning as I rode my Honda ST1300 the 30 miles required. When I arrived, the sun was warming the forest and reflecting off the clear stream. I unloaded and unpacked my gear, which included my folding chair, my Bible, and my journal. Before settling into my objective of heartfelt intercession, I took a little walk to tune in with the Lord. I looked at the fish and birds. I watched hawks and vultures circle a field of grass as they rode the contrasting warm air that was rising and creating the upward thermal. My heart was thrilled by the stage that was set before me as I watched God’s creation do what it was created to do. I looked at the birds and realized that life for them was simple, but fulfilling. These flying raptors were not hunting for food at this time. They were, instead, dancing on the wind currents and enjoying the life God had created for them. They were connecting with their Creator by simply being rather than doing. It was in this frame of mind that God’s still, small voice began to break through the clutter of my mind and the performance-driven tendencies that were birthed long ago through those voices I mentioned. I heard Him speak to my heart and say, “Be still my child. Abandon your agenda to Me and allow Me to give you another.”

Now understand, I went to this place with a sense of obligation to fulfill my duties as a men’s pastor, a friend, a mentor, and as a responsible prayer warrior for family and such. Were these not my responsibilities? Were these not items to be concerned with, and was it not my priority to get alone with God to intercede for these people? Surely this was a good agenda. It was, but it wasn’t God’s agenda for me that day. He had other things on His mind that He wanted to speak to me about.

“God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.” Psalm 23: 1-3 The Message

“My child,” I heard my Shepherd say to me, “Put away your prayer list. Put away your journal. Hand over to Me all your concerns and simply sit by this stream with Me. You are being tempted to carry a load that is not yours to carry. It is mine, and I will take care of those people and all your other concerns. Right now, you have need for restoration. This is My gift to you. Now, allow Me to show you My love. Continue to look at the world through My eyes, as I look at your world through your eyes. When we do this, you are experiencing one the most precious fruits I give when we abide together. It is the gift of abiding in My love.”

Brothers and Sisters, that time with the Lord was what I needed, and I didn’t even realize it. God rewrote my agenda, for I was being deceived by the enemy to carry a load that would have burned me out. How did my King know this was happening and how to intercede for me? He knew firsthand, for He had been there Himself. He stepped in and led me in the right direction, and he did what Atticus Finch said. He stood in my shoes and looked at the world through my eyes. Do you understand better why Jesus is my hero? He comes to my rescue time and time again. Will you allow Him to be yours? Take time to learn to hear His voice, and He will help you identify the voices that would lead you astray.