God doesn’t simply rain down healing or transformation from “on high.” Instead, He came to be with us. And in whatever troubles you face, whether traumas from the past or troubles in the present, that means you can take Jesus there with you.
Matthew says of the birth of Jesus, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ –which means, ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:22-23)
God With Us. Can we really grasp that?
This is not God shouting from heaven, “Hey; I’ve got a better way for you. Shape up and listen!” Instead, this is God the Son, who spoke the worlds into existence, becoming a human being, walking into our mess, taking us by the hand and saying, “You don’t have to live like this! Follow Me out of this mess!”
Expecting God to fix you through some arms-length transaction would be like expecting your doctor to do surgery on you over the phone. God doesn’t offer you “tele-medicine” from heaven. Instead, it’s “Beam me up, Scotty!” in the best possible sense. He is actually WITH you through His Holy Spirit.
And that changes everything. When Jesus was physically here on Earth people were changed in His presence. No one who hung around Jesus could remain the same. Inviting Jesus to be with you will change you too.
So how do you take Jesus there with you?
“Going There” for Past Traumas
We don’t get through life without trauma. We all get wounded. Some of those wounds others inflict on us, some we inflict on ourselves. and some happen simply because we live in a sinful messed up world.
Those traumas affect you both internally and externally. You don’t get over something traumatic just because time passes. You must actually choose to walk through the process of healing, and choose to take healing into your being.
A huge part of that is inviting Jesus to “go there” with you to those places where you have been wounded. Remember, He lives outside of time. In the inner part of you, you live outside of time in some sense also. Until you experience healing, part of you is back there in the middle of the trauma.
Whether the hurts happened yesterday or decades ago, take Jesus there with you. Get quiet in God’s presence. Imagine being there – the child who was beaten or bullied, the woman who was rejected or raped, the man who lost everything. And imagine Jesus being right there with you. Where is He while that is happening? See His face. How is He looking at you? Hear His voice. What is He saying to you?
Such an experience can sometimes be emotionally overwhelming. If you’re concerned it will feel “too much,” do this in the presence of a trusted friend, pastor, or Christian counselor. You may also find journaling during or after the experience helpful. And you can “go there” repeatedly with Jesus if need be.
Inviting Jesus to be With You Now
The wonderful news is that you don’t have to wait for something to become “past” before inviting Jesus to go through it with you. Most of us experience small or large “traumas” regularly. This is not to minimize the larger damage “big” traumas can cause, but simply to acknowledge that we still live in a world where wounds keep happening.
When you face something challenging, pause and invite Jesus into that circumstance right then. That’s the first part of the two-part prayer we talked about last week. This is not pushing the problem away and asking God to fix it from a distance. It’s acknowledging the real trouble and inviting Him right into the middle of it with you.
That’s a huge part of what Jesus meant when He said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20, emphasis added) The gift of Emmanuel, God With Us, has not been taken back. He is still With Us.
If you’re faced with a medical diagnosis, “Jesus, I’m sick. Come be with me right now!”
If you’re walking into a circumstance that fills you with fear, “Jesus, I’m afraid. Come be with me! In Your presence fear cannot stay.”
If your marriage is messed up, “Jesus, I can’t do this. Come into the middle of my marriage right now.”
Jesus being with you does not always “magically” change all circumstances, but He always changes you.
So rather than wearing yourself out trying to make things happen, invite Jesus to be With You in the middle of your circumstances right now.
And you can be sure He will be there with you. Always.
Your Turn: In which of your circumstances past or present do you need Jesus to truly be With You? Will you invite Him to do so? Leave a comment below.
Tweetables: why not share this post?
- Jesus wants to be WITH YOU – both in the traumas you’ve experienced in the past, and in the troubles you face now. Give Him that chance. Tweet that.
To Grow or to Stay Stuck?
Jesus loves you just as you are. But He loves you too much to let you stay the way you are!
Get this free 30 day email devotional series Positive Spiritual Growth, and see what God has to say about the process of becoming more and more like Jesus.
