When we encounter Jesus, our lives cannot really be the same.
Not really. Not after a genuine encounter with Him.
There’s something about Him that leaves something on us. We react in one way or another. An encounter with Jesus is not a casual thing that you treat like collecting the meal you ordered from the driver whose name you don’t even care about.
I sat in on a conversation where people were talking about how they turned out after encounters with Jesus, and somewhere else I noted those outcomes, which conveniently came out as 7W’s.
- Worshipper
- Warrior
- Worker
- Witness
- Watchman
- Welcomer
- Wayfarer
In the coming sessions of the Weekly, I hope to explore these in some detail. Here I want to share why this matters. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of what we become because of encounters, but they offer insights into why our relationship with Jesus shapes and moulds us to be sensitive to what He is doing in the world and the part we play in that. It’s important to spend time at the feet of Jesus; it’s essential that we pour out love to the one who has poured out so much to us. The idea, however, is that He fills us with His Spirit to be on mission for Him in how we serve beyond that warm environment of the encounter.
Jesus met one person and they followed Him on the way. He encountered another and they put out the best meal out to host Him. He encountered one person and they ran into the village to tell others about Him. Encounters with Jesus turned the lives of people into a service to others. We sometimes treat encounters as lovely times for the moment and little else. What if there’s more to it, though?
Think about it.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
Next Steps
Reflect: Of the seven W’s, which one captures your interest the most, which intrigues you the most?
Pray: As we encounter the Son by the Spirit, Father, help our lives to be forever changed in line with your will for our lives. We love these encounters that help us understand who you are and who we are in light of that.
Act: Write a journal note or leave a voice note to yourself of the last significant encounter of the divine kind you’ve experienced – what happened, what did you feel?
