4 Things I Learned from Rediscover Jesus
- Jessamyn Anderson
- Mar 28, 2016
- 5 min read
I don’t know what I expected when I decided to read Rediscover Jesus this Lent, but I know I didn’t
expect to be challenged as much as I was. I’d consider myself a pretty good Catholic: I go to Mass on Sundays and sometimes during the week, I pray faithfully every morning and every night, I read scripture every day, I’ve involved in ministry, blah blah blah. But all of these “holy” things I do are part of a routine I’ve developed. Routine is important to grow in your faith (or in anything!), but my journey through the pages of Rediscover Jesus has shown me that I’ve grown a little too comfortable where I am in my faith. And let me tell you… holiness is not comfortable.
I have to be honest. I’m sensing a need for major change in my life, particularly in my faith, but I’m not entirely sure how and where God is calling me to make those changes. That is something I will have to gradually discover through prayer. But reading Rediscover Jesus has definitely given me a swift kick in the behind to become more of the holy woman that God knows I can be. I learned a lot from this book, but here are four major points I’ve taken away from my Lenten journey through Rediscover Jesus.
1. Holiness is possible.
We read about the lives of the saints; we hear about martyrs; we learn about all of these seemingly impossible conversions. And then we sit in prayer thinking, “I can never be like those people. They’re so holy. And I’m… not.” But here’s the thing. Holiness is possible for every single one of us. It’s God’s plan for us to be holy! And he calls us to this beautiful holiness in so many different ways. I love singing; it fills me with more joy than anything else in my life (Jesus excluded…). And I know for a fact that God is calling me to use this musical gift to glorify him. Perhaps singing is not your gift, but you have an incredibly giving spirit. God may be calling you to holiness through work with the poor. Holiness looks different on each of us because God made us different. And the world is so much more beautiful for that!
2. Christianity is radical.
Jesus was fully God and fully man. He was not entirely of this world. We are of the world, but we are called to more. And it’s not easy. Just for a moment, think about a few of the teachings in the Gospel and how radical they are:
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)
“Take up [your] cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
“Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor...then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21)
I’m sorry, what? Think about how modern society teaches us to respond to these situations: take revenge; deny suffering because we should do whatever it takes to be happy all the time; the more stuff you have, the more worth you have. Our brains are flooded with these false ideas every day, and Jesus asks us to respond differently. How can we better follow Jesus’ radical teachings?
3. I have to make time for Jesus.
Imagine that you have a friend that wants to pursue a music career. They come to you and say, “I want to be on Broadway but I just don’t have time to practice. But I’ll get there, don’t worry.” I think they’d get some nice side-eye from you. Or maybe you know someone who talks about wanting to get in shape but they don’t change their eating habits or make fitness a part of their life. Again, side-eye. It’s the same with our faith. How can we expect our relationship with Jesus to grow if we don’t put time and effort into it? How can we expect our hearts to change if we aren’t making any changes? Prayer must be a part of your day. And just like holiness, this looks different for everyone. I encourage you to find a form of prayer that really works for you. If you need to write out your feelings, start a prayer journal. If you don’t know where to begin, start with prayers you know like an Our Father or a Hail Mary. If you have a steady prayer life and need something new, mix it up with Lectio Divina or a Novena. I’m a very conversational pray-er, and even with time in the morning and evening devoted to prayer, I talk to God throughout the day, and that has been a great way to keep myself focused on God during the day.
4. Jesus wants ME.
One of my favorite quotes is from St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (a.k.a. St. Edith Stein): “The world does not need what you have but who you are.” Replace “the world” with Jesus, and you’ve got it. Jesus wants all of us. He wants the messes, the brokenness, the joy, the celebrations, and everything in between. For so much of my life, I would ask, “Why would Jesus want to spend time with me when there are so many other, holier people in this world?” Gradually, I got an answer that sounded something like, “Because I made you, you dimwit.” Now, I’m not sure if Jesus would actually call me a dimwit, but I am sure he’s thinking it a lot of the time. Jesus wants each and every one of us. He already loves us, but he wants time with us. He wants our love. Because he knows that our truest joy and fulfillment will come from a life with him. The only question then is, why would you not want that?
Many years ago, one of my faith mentors (who I did and still do look up to a LOT) told me that there’s always more growing to do in your relationship with Christ. I thought she was crazy. I thought that I would get to a point where I’d be like, “Yes! This is where God wants me! And there’s nothing more to learn so victory is mine!” But as I’ve grown in my faith (and daresay experienced my true “conversion”), I have come to realize that she is right. And I am happy that she is. Even though I’m much closer to Christ now than I was a few years or even a few months ago, I know that I will always hunger for more because God offers us more. Rediscover Jesus has cemented this in my brain. Jesus calls us to a life that is full of challenges and crosses we must carry, but he offers us ultimate joy and peace when we truly dive into a relationship with him.
Comments