Sexpections: God, Intimacy and Your Love LifeSample

Day 5

“… The Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14)

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

When Jesus was here on earth, compassion was His primary response to people. He saw their struggle. He felt their need. 

If part of your sexual story includes “acting out,” doing behaviors that are hurtful to yourself and perhaps others, feeling Jesus’ compassion may seem difficult. Wouldn’t He be disgusted? Offended? Angry? You might imagine Him looking at you and saying, “You know better! Get your act together, and then we’ll talk.” 

But that’s not how Jesus comes to people. That’s not His message to you. 

Yes, Jesus is God. But He’s also human. Jesus became a fully human being, with all the vulnerabilities and weaknesses human beings experience. He felt loneliness, pain, sadness, fatigue, and anger. And He felt sexual drives. That’s part of being human. Jesus was human. He had to daily submit His sexuality to His Heavenly Father, just as we must do.

In fact, Jesus is still human. Oh yes, He’s glorified. But part of the mystery of Him coming to earth is that He forever will carry human nature in Himself. He is forever one of our race. 

So when you feel afraid, lonely or frustrated; when you feel overwhelming sexual drives, when you feel weak and unable to deal with stuff, Jesus knows what that’s like. He’s wrestled with those feelings. He sees you in all your struggles and He feels compassion for you. 

Compassion. What a beautiful word. A deep feeling word. Jesus sees your story and He feels for you. Your story moves Him.

What feelings are you wrestling with right now? Can you believe that Jesus identifies with those very feelings? Can you choose to accept His compassion for you and your story?

Dear Jesus, I often feel so alone. I feel like I’m the only one who is so messed up. But You assure me that’s not true. Even when I don’t feel You, You’ve told me that You are with me, that You understand. That You know how I feel, not just intellectually, but You feel it. Help me truly believe that. Amen.