EVERYDAY
Roger looked across the table at me with a contemplative look, almost as if he was trying to remember if he'd left his oven on at home. I could tell my promise was still bouncing around in his mind, but I was hoping it would take root in his heart.
“Roger, I’ve met so many young men and women like you over the years.” I began. “People God loves who don’t know what to do about it. They think all this ‘Jesus stuff’ is really good on Sunday; but don’t let it affect the rest of their week.” We all need to learn and remember what Roger needed to grasp.
Jesus is an Everyday Jesus. He loves you. He has a plan for your life. And it is not limited to one day of the week when you wear nice clothes, go sing some Christian version of karaoke, and listen to a big personality give a faith-based Ted Talk.
God’s plan for your life is so much bigger than planned worship services in air-conditioned buildings. It’s more important than our organizations, agendas, and issues. Jesus is about the business of extending invitations. He offers an invitation to a life that is rich in love, purpose, forgiveness, and so much more.
The invitation Jesus extended to us was not a one-time thing. It’s an everyday opportunity. And we need it.
Jesus isn’t some cosmic party pooper. He's not the guy who'll take away your ice cream because there’s too much sugar. Jesus isn’t trying to squeeze all the fun out of our lives. He isn’t trying to turn us into prudish zombies. He offers a way to live that is fulfilling in purpose, unique in application, and full of freedom across the board.
Jesus wants you in his kingdom. To do that, he wants into your life. He wants to be with you, not just on the highlight reel days but also on those “I spilled coffee on my shirt” days. Because, let's face it, those happen a lot more than we'd like to admit.
WITH US
In the Bible story, an angel appeared to Mary—probably giving her the biggest shock of her life—to let her know she’d won the cosmic genetic lottery. She was going to be a mom. The mother of the Son of God.
The angel gave a directive. He said that the baby would be called “Emmanuel,” but this isn’t a book about Everyday Emmanuel. Or is it? The directive the angel was offering wasn’t about names. It was about more than that. Emmanuel means “God with us”.
God had taken the form of a baby to come to those he loved so much. Jesus is Emmanuel. Jesus is God with us.
He wants to be with us. Everyday. He wants to be with you. Everyday. Jesus wants to be with you in the grocery store, but probably not because he wants to point out that those cookies you’re eyeballing aren’t on your diet. He wants to be there helping you in the boardroom. He’s probably chuckling when you think your muted Zoom call hides your pajama bottoms. He hopes you’ll take him with you on the subway or the next time you catch an Uber. Jesus wants to be with you at home, work, and play. He wants to be with you. Why? Because Jesus is an Everyday Jesus.
How? Well, that’s what this book is really about. But why would Jesus want such a prominent role in our lives? Why would Jesus want to hang out with us so much? Is it because he likes our style? I don’t think so. Perhaps he’s a big fan of human hobbies? No. That’s not it. It's because of how much we mean to Him. Why should Jesus be so important to us? Because of how important we are to Him. He loves you so much. He values you. He treasures you.
ONE
Every person who has experienced the incredible grace of God flood their life knows what it’s like to be valued. A first-century historian named Luke wrote down many of the stories Jesus told. Several of them highlight the importance placed on you when you were far from God. They serve as an incredible reminder of why he went through all that he did. Because you were valued. You are valued.
Luke also captured the idea that angels celebrate the moment someone decides to live everyday with Jesus. It is a celebration like none other. And if you have become a follower of Christ, there are still echoes of rejoicing reverberating through the halls of eternity.
One of my favorite things to learn about someone who shares my faith is how they came to it. The stories are as different and varied as the people I meet and ask. I’ve met people who were compelled to find God after they reached their life’s biggest dream, and it came up empty. I’ve known others who watched all they had ever loved go down the drain because of their reckless choices—and at rock bottom, they looked up to see Jesus had been searching for just such an opportunity to show them his love.
Jesus is always looking for the next one who will accept His love. Jesus is always waiting and ready for someone willing to turn their life around. Only when we step into the loving relationship God wants for us do we begin to live out the potential always there waiting.
It’s not instant. It’s a start. The party the angels throw is about all of the good things that will come from what is taking place when a lost son or daughter comes home to our Good Father.
TOUCHDOWN
I grew up in church and was no stranger to Jesus as a kid. But one week before my twelfth birthday, I accepted Jesus’s invitation to be part of my life everyday. It happened at the end of a gathering my community had thrown on our local high school football field.
Now, I’ve never played a single down of football in my life. I was younger and smaller than everyone growing up. But Jesus said Heaven has a party when someone decides to spend everyday with Jesus. On a Tuesday night in a small town endzone, I knelt and prayed. Heaven rejoiced! It’s the closest thing I’ve ever come to a touchdown.
Everyone who has experienced the love of Christ in their life has a moment in their story just like mine. A moment when Heaven gasped in excitement and celebrated in full. But not everyday feels like a party, even with Jesus.
In the more than thirty years since that day, I’ve lived through all of the worst days of my life. Heartache, pain, loss, sin, destructive habits, reckless choices, and a litany of bad things that chose me. None of them felt like a party.
If you’ve lived through hard things, you probably know the feeling. It’s the tension between swinging for the home run and striking out, like running out of gas when you’re on your way to the most important appointment of the day.
On days like those, it’s easy for me to be my biggest critic. But I need to remember my value. It’s vital to remember who values me.
You are loved. You are wanted. You are cherished. You were grafted into Heaven’s family by Jesus himself. Who you are is summed up by whose you are—and you’re more than enough.
On those days when it doesn’t seem so, or when something says otherwise, the voice that’s telling you you’re loved, you’re forgiven, you’re a Child of God can be hard to hear. Still your heart and your soul. Turn off the cell phone. Go for a short drive. Maybe just take a walk.
When everything gets quiet, remember this phrase: “I am celebrated. I am loved. I am His.” Why? Because your life, your soul, and your purpose carry value before God. Jesus wants you to spend everyday with him.