To be healthy…
It’s been great to gather back in our own building this past two Sundays! Prior to that, when we were still meeting in our Bracknell building on Sunday afternoons, we were exploring the values we want to grow in together as a church. We want to be people who are Hungry – pursuing Jesus with passion and purpose – and Humble – serving others for God’s glory. On the last week, our Assistant Site Pastor Shari helped us to focus on being Healthy: serving Jesus from being with Jesus. Below is a summary of what she shared with us that afternoon.
Have you ever had one of those days when you’ve done loads of good things, but by the end of it, you’re completely exhausted? Sometimes, we can experience the same thing in our walk with Jesus. We can come to church, serve, help others, pray and get involved in lots of good things. But somewhere along the way, we can become better at doing things for Jesus than actually being with Jesus.
In Matthew 11:28–29, Jesus says:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Notice that Jesus doesn’t begin by saying, “Come and work for me.” He says, “Come to me.” Before He calls us to do anything, He invites us into a relationship with Him.
Jesus is gentle, humble and welcoming. He cares about our hearts, not just what we can do for Him. He knows when we’re weary and offers us rest for our souls.
Jesus Fills Us
Imagine an empty cup. What happens if you try to pour something out of it? Nothing!
Sometimes, we try to pour out love when we’re running low on love, show patience when we’ve run out of patience, or encourage others when we’re discouraged ourselves.
Jesus invites us to come back to the source. In John 7:37–38, Jesus describes Himself as the source of living water, inviting those who are thirsty to come to Him and drink.
The answer to an empty cup isn’t to try harder to pour. It’s to come back and be filled. Jesus fills us with His love, kindness, patience, joy and peace, not so we can keep those things to ourselves, but so they can overflow into the lives of others.
Learning to become more like Jesus
Jesus also says, “Learn from me.”
When we spend time with Jesus, we don’t simply learn about Him; we learn from Him. As our relationship with Him grows, He begins to shape our thoughts, words, reactions and relationships. When someone frustrates us, we can learn patience instead of reacting in anger. When someone needs help, we become more attentive and willing to serve. When someone hurts us, we learn forgiveness. When someone struggles, we grow in compassion.
Serving becomes more than ticking a box or fulfilling a responsibility. It becomes a natural overflow of a life being transformed by Jesus.
One simple step we can take
Being spiritually healthy isn’t simply about completing a Bible-reading plan or saying more prayers. These practices matter of course because they help us grow in our relationship with Jesus. But as we come to Him, learn from Him and stay close to Him, we become more like Him. And as we become more like Jesus, it changes how we live, how we treat people and how we serve.
We don’t just serve Jesus by doing things for Him. We serve Him by becoming more like Him and allowing His life to overflow through us.
So, here’s a question to leave you with; What is one simple thing you could do this week to spend time with Jesus?
As you make room for Him, ask: “Jesus, what do You want me to learn from You? What do You want to change in me? How can I become more like You?”
Let’s be the healthiest church we can be by being the healthiest version of ourselves - one that serves Jesus from the overflow of being with Jesus.