Out of this world

John 17:13-14
“13 I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.”

Jesus is praying for us. What a strange thing that Jesus is praying for our protection. Why didn’t he just armor us up and cover us with Teflon do sin would just roll off us? Why didn’t he just armor us up so we could battle Satan and the world without temptation? Wouldn’t that give us a full measure of joy?

Think though what we’d do with that. I wouldn’t trust myself. Sure, I’d go smite some evil in self-righteous confidence, but I’d also take care of a few resentments too – in self-righteous, self-centered confidence that I actually knew what I was doing. It might not be too long before the power started going to my head. Might not be too long? Phhhhht, it wouldn’t be too long and Satan would have a wide open freeway to my soul.

We are far from God. The more I lean into Him, the more I know how far from Him I am. That’s comforting and humbling. I am here to serve, to be comfortable that the world will hate what I believe, say, do, worship, but when they chunk me in the ground, that I am no longer of the world.

That my friends, is a full measure of joy.

Jesus prays for us, for our protection, knowing that we can’t handle the responsibility of bequeathed armor and need to humbly ask for protection. We must be weathered by the storms to realize how broken we are, how far from being like God we are, to wear the armor for it’s intended purpose.

I’m starting my day knowing that God has my back, that I have Jesus praying over me. It doesn’t get any better than that.

I’m off now, the joy of Christ within me, to be the light, to be bold in my declaration, wearing the full armor of God as a humble servant, to be in the world but not of the world. I’m humbly walking with God, loving kindness, mercy and justice. It’s a glorious day no matter what the world throws my way.

How’s your day going?