There are baby birds on the feeder outside my window, the momma right below on the ground. Yesterday I saw a momma robin hopping along with a worm in her mouth. I’m seeing a picture, a metaphor. When the baby birds are still helpless in the nest, momma bird brings them food and drops it into their gaping mouths. Then when they are able, they venture out to find food on their own. Two things stand out—when they are in the nest, they must have their mouths wide open in order to receive the nourishment that they need to grow. And when they are strong enough, they must venture out to seek their own food or they will die.
The Word tells us to seek God, that we will find him when we seek him with all of our hearts (Jeremiah 29:13). Before we receive Christ, we are also in a helpless state. Once we have found him and receive him into our hearts, we have to continue seeking him if we want to grow. Jesus speaks in the parables of searching for him as treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13:44). In every situation of life that I find myself in, I should ask, “Where can I find you in this moment, Lord, and how can I connect with you here?”
In these uneasy days when we’re experiencing a global pandemic and racial unrest across the country because of the horror of a white police officer restraining a black man until he died, all caught on video for the world to see, it’s hard to know how to respond, to know what to do. But it all begins with our intimacy with the Lord, for even Jesus only did what he saw the Father doing (John 5:19). We can talk about it and fret about it and even join protests, but without God, nothing will truly change.
I’m asking the question now, “Where are you in this and how do I align with you, Lord?” What does “Christ in me” look like here? Maybe the world is changed one life at a time. “Change me, Lord, in how I think about this. What do I need to know about myself in this situation in order to receive what I need from you?” And ultimately, “What does love look like here?”
The Word says, “We love because he first loved us” (I John 4:19). It all starts with God. Just like the baby bird will never be able to fly on its own unless it receives what it needs from its momma, we won’t be the light of the world unless we’re willing to humble ourselves and receive from the Lord. Jesus is our model. After he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on the cross, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:8-9). First comes humility, then comes power. The transforming power of the Holy Spirit is the only thing that will change us.
Jesus, rescue me from my frenetic thoughts and my anxiety and help me to breathe. I want to be changed. I want to connect with you intimately in the sanctuary of your Holy Spirit, where you dwell, “Christ in me.” Teach me your ways. Help me to love as you love. Amen.