They Only Had Jesus

Dear Friends,

Recently I was at a retreat with some friends. It was one of those times when we could pull away, relax, have some fun, and allow the masks we wear to slip a bit. Men, it seems, by nature are very competitive and in many ways just little boys in men’s bodies. We had a significant amount of free time and I noticed that most of the men were busy doing something active during that time. Basketball, bike riding, golfing, fishing and paintball warfare were the sports of the day. A few would slip off for a walk, take a nap or visit with friends.

As we gathered for our evening sessions there was much laughter, shouting, singing, and praising God. We sat rapt with attention as our speakers spoke about being a godly man, pulling off the masks that we all wear and the dangers of envy and comparison. As we came to the close of each session, God began to dig a little deeper and touch those parts of us that we hide away. Those parts that we don’t allow others to know about, that bring us shame, embarrassment and often leave us feeling defeated. It seems we are always looking for something to medicate our pain or satiate our passions. As men opened themselves up to the healing touch of Jesus, they found that He was enough, that only Jesus can bring lasting victory and peace, and that we can’t pull ourselves up by our own spiritual bootstraps when faced with the utter inadequacy of our willpower and the insufficiency of the self-made man.

When we discover that all we are, all we have, all we do must be centered in Jesus Christ we will understand that Jesus is all we need. When the Christians faced Rome, they only had Jesus. When Stephen was stoned, he only had Jesus. When Paul was whipped, ridiculed, and imprisoned, he only had Jesus.

I read this in Brennan Manning’s book, “The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus,”

“Living out of the center enables us to blend for a moment into a greater background than our own fears, to merely be still and to know that God is God. It means that I don’t figure out, I don’t analyze. I simply lose myself in the experience of just being alive, of being in a community of believers, simply knowing that it’s good to be there, even if I don’t know where “there” is or why it’s good.”

I have discovered in over 40 years of ministry in dealing with men that when Jesus becomes the “center” of all we do, He is all we will need.

Early in my ministry journey this flyer was given to me by a friend and when I read it the impact on my life was significant. I read it often as it clearly lays out how we are to live as we walk this journey with God. I was especially moved by what was written at the bottom of the flyer which begins with, “Let me show you what your life could have been like if only…”

Thank you for your prayers and support.

God bless,

Mike

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