Embracing a Quiet Life of Following the Lord!

A couple of days ago I was thinking about Jesus, and the fact that we really only see 3 years of His life, with a couple of brief glimpses into His life prior to His public ministry.  I was thinking about how that relates to me, and what direction I should take from Him regarding my hidden life.  I asked the question, "I wonder what Jesus was doing all those 30 years?" and immediately the answer I heard was, "Praying!"  I was a bit blown away by the answer, and now the idea of Jesus spending 30 years in prayer, prior to His time of active ministry has really been captivating my thoughts.  This is such an interesting thing to me, and should not really be a surprise, I guess.  However, it is something that just helps me to think about myself and my time out of active public ministry, and a good guide for how to live my life...  how to embrace this time of quietness.  I need to be focused on relationship with the Lord (for that is what I understand Jesus to mean when He says He was praying - He was communicating with the Father), and looking to Him for direction, speaking what He shows me, growing in ways that represent Him.

My base understanding for this perception is from Jesus' statements concerning His words and actions, and our understanding of Him being perfect, and sinless even in His human state.  Starting with the latter, the definition of sin I am using here is the definition of the Greek word that is used by the original writers of scripture and which we translate sin.  The Greek word used is Hamartano/Hamartia and is defined as follows:

1) to be without a share in
2) to miss the mark
3) to err, be mistaken
4) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong
5) to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin

I am applying this definition as it pertains to Jesus' life, and assume that this means Jesus walked perfectly in the path laid for Him by the Father.  He was always hitting the exact mark, was never mistaken, or without a share of what the Father planned, and He never wandered from the path before Him, for His entire life.  This is not about a list of particular sins, but rather is about perfectly walking in unity relationally with the Father, doing what the Father said to do, and speaking what the Father said to speak, operating in perfect obedience to these minute by minute directions and guidance for His entire life!

Jesus said the following about His life.

John 5:19-20 NIV:  "Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. [20] For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed."

John 12:49 NIV: "For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken."

John 14:9-10 NIV: "Jesus answered: “Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work."


Finally we have this statement from the author of the Letter to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 4:15 NIV:  "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are---yet he did not sin."

So summarizing these statements, Jesus said and did what the Father showed Him to do.  Perfectly!  His whole life!  I am applying this statement and belief  to the whole of his life, even those years lived out of the public eye, His childhood and adolescence, from His birth to His baptism and entrance into public ministry after his time in the wilderness.

So how does that look when applied to His life prior to His ministry?  How do we embrace this lifestyle in our own daily walk?  How do we embrace this lifestyle as it relates to our work, to loving our spouses, significant others, children, co-workers, friends, neighbors, and those we meet throughout our daily life?  How does the Lord want us to represent Him in speech and action?  How do we represent the character of God to those around us?

Paul writes this in his letter to the Romans 8:28-29 NIV: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters."

If we read this literally, we are included in the "many brothers and sisters" for whom Jesus is the firstborn, the one whom we follow and emulate.  He showed us the path, opened the way for us to have relationship with the Father and now guides us through His indwelling Holy Spirit down this same path.

However, my experience is that most of the time I am unaware of His will and purpose, certainly not in an intimate moment by moment way that seems to be the way Jesus lived.  So, how do I get from my present level of experience to something more intimate, a life lived with greater intentionality and insight into what I should be doing and saying?  How do I learn to represent Him in my every word, and every action?

I think the answer is simple and yet far from simple!  The answer is I ask and then I listen and obey.  What a simple statement, and yet how difficult it is to accomplish in my action packed day of work and life.  I tend to lose sight, lose focus and once that happens, I just plug along on my own power and effort.  I really need to learn to quickly recenter and refocus, to listen throughout the day, to chose to listen first, then speak or respond.  I think so often I miss what the Lord is saying because either I am talking or I already decided on a path and moving.

I was just thinking how my wife and I often times have strolling conversations, where we are talking to one another as we move from room to room, and how that is a very ineffective way of communicating.  Yet, I do the same thing with the Lord, as I lose focus, almost immediately upon leaving my prayer time.  So, how to keep myself focused?  How to walk in a sense of union, of connectedness with Holy Spirit every day, all day?

As I am thinking about all this, it is apparent to me that I don't need to recreate the wheel here!  There are many who have walked this path before me, some who have even written of their life.  I am also VERY conscious of the leading and guiding of Holy Spirit as He wants me to succeed and learn this too!  I am convinced that He wants me to learn, that He knows me perfectly, and that He will gently guide me, if I let Him and turn to Him.  Lord, please help me!

I am aware of the fact that is requires me to be aware of His presence, in me!  I need to foster my awareness, in conjunction with His leading and guiding me to learn to do this.  I need to be aware of His voice directing and guiding me!  I need to be aware of His heart, His passion, His character - desiring to be expressed through me!  One of the authors I read regularly said it something like this, "The Holy Spirit is inside you and HE wants out!"

Lord, help me to learn to walk in Your path, in Your guidance, speaking and acting as You desire!  Help me to focus on relationship with You first and foremost, that I might walk in unity with You, expressing Your love, mercy, compassion and grace to those that I interact with daily.