You're Essential to Survive

Last night I was reading a book in preparation to my missions trip this summer. I'm about a third of the way through the book called,"When Helping Hurts". Brian, the author has had some amazing experiences in far off countries.  At the end of the second chapter he talks about a significant journey in the slums of Africa. The slums were covered in filth. He describes houses made of cardboard, and waste covering the ground. As he walked along this early Sunday morning, he heard the sound of people singing hymns.

What he said strikes through our view of living for god. He describes people so reliant on god for everyday life. They need god because he is essential to survive. This is what makes them know and love him more. They need him. They need his grace strength and provision, or they die. In prayer I admitted how I need him more then I could ever know, and this song came into my head. A song that I had been recently playing on piano.

I have been learning piano slowly but surely since thanksgiving last year. Recently I have been learning "Im Getting Into You", by Relient K.  The chorus has been such a blessing to my heart and now singing it I am beginning to get a greater understanding into what it means.

"I'm getting into you,

Because you got to me, in a way words can't describe

I'm getting into you

Because I've got to be

You're essential to survive

I'm going to love you with my life"

Fundamentally this is the essence of a christian. The only way I can get to Jesus is because Jesus got to me. He wants relationship with me in a way words cant describe. He loves me as a son. Not only like a son, but now he has adopted me so I am a son. He wants me to know him and have joy with HIM. He wants to love me like i can never imagine and yet I look for love elsewhere. My heart is drawn to other things that will never fulfill me. Part of being broken is believing that I can fix myself. Every day it is a struggle to remember that am week in myself. But now i am able to get into him not by my will, but because of my brokenness. If i come to Jesus on my own strength i am not coming to Jesus at all. I am self righteously coming to a god that does not exist. A god who gives me moral support but does not require anything of me. If Jesus is a backup plan then everything Jesus said, and did is a lie. If he is not the real way truth and the life, then he by all standards must be considered a megalomaniac.

Everything Jesus did was for a lie.

But I know the truth. He came to me first because I couldn't come to him. I can get into him because he got to me. He got to me in a way words can't describe. Only in confessing that I am weak I can cry out to him. And only in him I am made strong. He is essential to survive. Now with his strength I can love like no other. I can do things I haven't ever dreamed possible. But the funny thing is "I" don't do anything. Its only his power working through me.

Because you're essential to survive, i'm going to love you with my life.

My prayer now is that I would learn what it means for jesus to be essential to survive in my life.