A Better Question...

The other day I was driving in traffic and was waiting at a stoplight behind a car with an interesting bumper sticker. The bumper sticker asked a simple question: "Got Jesus?" I realized that this was a clever adaptation from the "Got Milk?" advertising campaign of the Dairy Association. The bumper sticker is an attempt to get people to think about their spiritual journey and consider if Jesus is an important part of that journey. I think it is good to try and get people to think about Jesus, especially while driving in busy traffic.

But, I would like to suggest a better question for a bumper sticker and for our lives in general. It's not, "Got Jesus?" but rather, "Has Jesus got you?" It is sometimes tempting for Christians to adopt an "I've got Jesus" mentality, as if Jesus becomes a commodity we possess (I've got milk in my refrigerator and Jesus in my heart). When "I've got Jesus," there is a danger that I will expect Jesus to give me what I want and bless my life with comfort, ease and material prosperity. When "I've got Jesus," I've got my ticket to heaven and I'm good to go, preferably after my 95th birthday. When "I've got Jesus," it is tempting to think like a consumer where Jesus becomes a means to get what I want.

But when "Jesus has me," I have a different perspective on life. I see my life as an opportunity to do His will rather than to get Him to do my will. I experience contentment with what I have and joy in serving others. Yes, I have the confidence of knowing I am going to heaven when I die, but I also remember I have a life to live here and now, and this life is supposed to be characterized by gratitude, generosity and love. When "Jesus has me," I think like a servant rather than a consumer and I focus on what I can give rather than what I can get. The Apostle Paul puts it this way, "You no longer belong to yourself, you belong to Christ. For you were bought with a price" (1 Cor 6:19-20).

It reminds me of another bumper sticker I used to see all the time. It read, "Jesus is my co-pilot." I never cared much for that one. It just didn't sound right to me. One day, I finally figured out why when I came across another bumper sticker that read, "If Jesus is your co-pilot, switch seats." The most basic question we have to answer in our lives is this: "Am I going to live life on my own terms and ask Jesus to help me if I ever need Him, or am I going to surrender my life to Jesus and live the way He asks me to live?" The first approach declares, "Jesus is my co-pilot." The second approach requires that we switch seats. The first approach asks, "Got Jesus?" The second approach says, "Jesus has me."

GK Chesterton once quipped that most of us want Jesus to be our Savior, but not our Lord. We are attracted to the Savior who died on the cross for our sins and offers us eternal life. We aren't necessarily attracted to the Lord who calls us to take up our cross and follow Him. And yet, authentic Christianity requires that we seek to allow Jesus to be both our Savior and Lord. Every Sunday we gather for worship at Ebenezer Church. We try our best to give thanks to the Savior Jesus, while seeking to more deeply commit our lives to the Lord Jesus. It's not easy, but it is so worth it. Worship says more than just "I've got Jesus in my heart." Worship says, "Jesus has my heart."

When we give our heart to Jesus, we realize that we don't have Him; He has us. He's not the co-pilot who helps us out when we need Him, He is the pilot who sets the course and calls the shots. That probably won't make its way onto a bumper sticker, but it will make our lives an amazing adventure. I hope to see you this weekend in worship, as we continue the adventure together.