Are You the One?

I am currently in a frame of mind where I’m asking certain questions of God. I would just love to know the when, what and where, but most importantly the question of “Who?” Last week, we talked about the set time of God. When my mother was alive, she would often say to me: “Sophia, nothing happens before its time.” While we are waiting on His set time, we can begin to fuss about other details. We can’t wait to get to the “next” and so we try to press into Jesus with all our questions. At times we worry about things that will never happen. We waste valuable time devising scenarios and our responses in each case. However we just need to cast all our cares¹ on Jesus, just let go. Just simply stop thinking about the when, what, where and who. We need to be here, right now, working on what Jesus called us to do, as we become the one, the vessel of honour in His house.²

Are You the One?

As I was doing some chores today, I kept hearing the question: “Are you the one?” This was the question John the Baptist asked Jesus. Let’s look at the scripture:

“Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.
And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:
The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.””
Matthew 11:1-6, NKJV.

“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” In other words: “Are You the Promised Messiah of Israel’s deliverance? Tell us if You’re Him, so that we can move on if You’re not.” This question was loaded with all the hopes of a people oppressed for a long time. The nation of Israel needed a deliverer, just like the judges of old who came out of nowhere, empowered by God to save the day! John the Baptist was just voicing a pervasive concern; everyone was on the lookout for the Messiah. We are pretty much the same today, we just want the answers to our questions: “Jesus tell me now, I just want to know!”

The Stories Our Actions Reveal

As I read this scripture, the Holy Spirit had me focus on His response on that day. Jesus responded with a catalogue of the works that He had done, as He showed His fruit, His works. And then we see that it’s not about a given response, it’s a matter of the works that we have done and that we should continue to do. Our walk with God is not a matter of declarations, but a matter of actions.³ What do our actions say about who we are? What stories do our actions (and non-actions) tell about the state of our hearts? Do our actions say we are the “one”, set apart for His glory?

Where’s the Focus?

Sometimes we focus on all the desirable changes that we want to see in our outward lives. We seem locked into a cycle of thinking that if we could only get this job, this promotion, this contract, these favourable contacts, then everything would be so much better. This mode of thinking leads us into idolizing people and things, which is basically replacing Jesus as our focus, as our ideal, as our One. We must focus on the Source and not the resources; our eyes fixed on the Source alone.

Then we have to consider the nature of the questions that we direct to Jesus. Maybe the questions that we have shouldn’t be outwardly focused, relentlessly fixed on the externals of the “next”. Instead we need to focus on becoming the person Jesus created each of us to be: a vessel of divine purpose. As we focus on His work and doing it to the best of our abilities, then I believe that we will look up and just be surprised by Jesus.⁴ All of those long-held desires in our hearts, He’ll just surprise us! We don’t have to worry about the details, because we know that our heavenly Father only gives us good gifts because He loves us more than we could ever fathom.⁵Let us truly seek the Kingdom of God and live righteously before Him as a matter of priority – everything else will follow in His time and through His methods.⁶

Focus on Becoming the One – for His Glory

We have a choice to make. We can choose to seek after the “next important thing”, endlessly running like a hamster in wheel, never getting to a place of peace and rest. However there is another fulfilling way, the best way. We can choose to run after and seek our Source, Jesus Christ, who loves us beyond measure and only has the best gifts for us that will “add no sorrow” and enrich us in all dimensions.⁷ Our Source can never be depleted and His presence always gives us incomparable peace and rest for our souls.⁸ I encourage us to seek after the One, Jesus Christ revealed as “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, [and] The Prince of Peace.”⁹

I encourage us to focus on becoming the one, for the glory of Jesus Christ. I will end with a few of the lyrics from the song entitled “First” by Lauren Daigle:

“Before I bring my need, I will bring my heart;
Before I lift my cares, I will lift my arms;
I wanna know You, I wanna find You;
In every season, In every moment;
Before I bring my need, I will bring my heart;
And seek You;
First;
I wanna seek You, I wanna seek You;
First;
I wanna keep You, I wanna keep You;
First;
More than anything I want, I want You;
First.”
Lauren Daigle et al., 2016.

Blessings, peace and wisdom upon you,
Sophia.

1. 1 Peter 5:7.
2. 2 Timothy 2:20-21.
3. Kindly read and meditate on Matthew 7:13-27.
4. Please read the story of the unexpected blessing that Simon Peter received after serving Jesus Christ in John 5:1-11.
5. Please be encouraged by the following scriptures: James 1:17; Proverbs 10:22; Jeremiah 29:11-13; Romans 8:28; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Proverbs 18:16.
6. Matthew 6:33; Ephesians 2:10.
7. Proverbs 10:22.
8. Matthew 11:28-30.
9. Isaiah 9:6.