Streaking Into 2021

As I was reflecting on moving into a new year and what that might mean for me on a personal level, God laid a verse on my heart. It was John 11:44, specifically the end that says, “Take off the grave clothes”. As I opened my Bible and began to read the story of Lazarus, three verses jumped out at me.

John 11:11 – “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

How often do we fall asleep in the midst of life? How often do we forget who we are and Whose we are and walk away? What happens when our friends and loved ones become convinced that there is no hope for us? When they feel like they have tried everything, and nothing is getting through? When they resort to tough love and bury us and leave us for dead? When they feel like all is lost and they walk away weeping and mourning the person that we once were or could potentially be?

JESUS

Jesus happens. Jesus sees us as the sleeping souls that we are in that moment and knows that we are not dead. Jesus knows that all is not lost. Jesus knows that one encounter with not even Himself, but just simply His voice will change EVERYTHING. His voice, the same voice that spoke the world into existence, will speak life back into our dry bones. His voice will awaken the Spirit within us and move us to life once again.

Where have you fallen asleep? In what areas of your life do you need Jesus to come and awaken you with His voice?

John 11:35 – “Jesus wept.”

He really was fully man.

Jesus knew what He was about to do and still He wept.

Why?

Because His heart hurt for Mary and Martha and everyone else that loved Lazarus so much? Because He was moved to tears by their pain and heartache? Because it hurt Him to see such little faith among them that He would actually show up when they called on Him?

Or was it something more?

Could it have possibly been because Lazarus had fallen asleep?

Is it possible that Jesus is moved to tears any time He sees one of His own, someone that He loves so dearly and has such a close relationship with, fall asleep in some area of their faith? Maybe when our prayer life begins to fall away. Maybe when He starts to fall down the priority list in our life. Maybe when we start turning away from scripture and towards people for guidance. Maybe when we stop opening our Bibles altogether. Maybe when we begin to spew hate at our brothers and sisters “in His name”. Maybe when we take our eyes off Him and place them on the world. Maybe when we allow opinions that are different than our own to become more important to us than relationships. Maybe when we value being heard over listening. Maybe when we begin to value head knowledge over heart knowledge.

Where might Jesus be weeping over you right now?

John 11:44 – “…Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’”

Take off the grave clothes…you don’t need them anymore because you are no longer dead.

The grave clothes love to stick to us like glue don’t they, covering us in their rotten stench. They are always there clinging to us to remind us of all the things that make us dead. They get heavier and heavier the longer we leave them on.

The thing is, we don’t need them. Once we have that encounter with Jesus and He wakes us up from our slumber, we can shed those grave clothes. In fact, Jesus commands that we do.

The enemy wants nothing more than to convince us that we have to carry all that extra clothing around forever. Read that again. THE ENEMY is the one that wants us to carry those things around forever. Not Jesus. Jesus died to strip those heavy grave clothes right off of us!

The enemy is the one that wants to constantly remind us of what we did to fall asleep in the first place…not Jesus.

Feeling like you have gone too far or done too much for Jesus to accept you is not humility. It is pride. You are not bigger than Jesus. Do not try to put limitations on His ability to love and forgive.

So, you have done some pretty awful and despicable things in your lifetime? Awesome. Me too. But I refuse to wear those grave clothes into the new year.

So, who else is ready to strip those grave clothes and go streaking into 2021?