Where Are You Jesus?

This question echoes in the minds of millions of Christians. Christians from the past, Christians who live today, and Chrsitians who will be after us. Where are you Jesus? 

Have you ever asked it? Maybe in a moment of frustration, despair, or sadness? Or perhaps in a moment of simple curiosity? Just wondering… is he floating around in the sky or something? 

It’s a fair question. And you are not wrong for asking. Even if it springs forth from your doubt, it is a fair question and you are not wrong for asking it. 

It’s evidence. 

Asking questions is always evidence that you are working something out in your mind. Maybe it’s purposeful and you are forming your questions through thought. “Jesus, how do I find you? What does that mean? Where are you?” Or maybe your questions are more subconscious and surface every once in a while. “Jesus, what does it mean to know you? How can I know if I actually know you? Where are you anyways?”

After asking this question out of my own doubt and curiosity, I’ve learned a few things about my faith and about where Jesus is. Don’t get me wrong, I would not say that The Known Disciple Project has all the answers. Not even close! But we are seeking, asking, knocking, leading with curiosity, and choosing faith. Here we go. 

The first thing I learned is that when we begin asking Jesus where he is, things happen. When we are truly seeking and asking… not simply sarcastically throwing the question out and failing to look for a response, things happen. 

One thing that happens is that the enemy begins to create a contrast in your mind between what you know and what you don’t know. He can use your lack of answers to cause more doubt. More doubt can lead to slipping back to old patterns of thought. Old patterns of thought can lead to becoming comfortable with sin. This is a dangerous and slippery path. 

In Genesis 4:7, God says to Cain, “...but if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’”

Of course, this is part of the Cain and Able story, but we can take the wisdom and apply it here. When we begin to truly seek and do what is right in the eyes of God, sin crouches at our door and waits for it to simply crack open just a little bit. All it needs is a small opening to slip in a thought, an action, or a doubt that takes you away from God. The enemy is real. When we earnestly ask and pray, “Where are you Jesus?” Sin crouches at our door and waits to devour us. 

A second thing I have learned by asking, “where are you Jesus” is that you begin to see Jesus in other people and in situations. Our subconscious mind is way faster and smarter than our front of mind thought. When we begin to focus on something, our subconscious thought gets involved and starts processing information and connecting dots that we would never see if we were not focused on it. 

Here is a quick example: Have you ever been in a noisy room such as a crowded restaurant or a mall and suddenly you very clearly thought you heard your name? From out of the blur of noise, your subconscious mind picked up that one word that you are trained and focused on hearing. Your subconscious mind is actually processing ALL the things in that noisy room and only allowing the most important things through. If that didn’t happen, I’m pretty sure your brain would explode! 

How true is this of Jesus? Ask the question frequently and listen for a response. Train your mind to find Jesus in other people and in situations. You will begin to see connections and connect dots. You will be tempted to explain them away as coincidence, but in your heart, know that they are not. You are seeing a truth that was always around you… but now you’re training your mind to see it more clearly, to focus on it, and to call it out to you like your name in a noisy room. 

Philippians 4:8-9 speaks specifically about the power of thought. We were designed to use it purposefully. Do that. 

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

The third thing that has become apparent is that Jesus can be found in worship. 

Our minds were designed to respond to music. How do we know that? Aside from all of the research, data, and psychology that support that… Here is the most obvious answer. From the beginning of time, no matter where they are, who they are, or what they believe, music is an important part of all cultures. It is an important part of every single culture in some form or fashion. Why? Because we were wired that way. Created to receive and to create joyful sounds. 

If we were created that way, there must be something to the fact that our emotions, thoughts, and actions can be moved through music. God seems to delight in joyful and meaningful sound. That is pretty amazing. 

Ephesians 5:19-20 reminds us, among other things, that we are to use music as a way to connect with God and with other people. 

“...speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Where are you Jesus? 

He is all around us and when we focus on Him, we see Him. 

He is met during worship and when we use our voice, he responds. 

He is with you and the enemy will fight to keep you apart. 

Here is the special thing about this question… It’s not about the answer! 

It’s never about the answer. It’s all about the question itself. It’s about the fact that you are asking. It’s about why you are asking. It’s about what you do with it when you do or don’t have an answer. It’s about training your mind to focus on solving it instead of the fact that you may not yet understand. 

All of life is about the question. Not the answer. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. 

Be known by your faith and your habits.