A freezing winter wind was blowing through the doors of the hotel into the lobby where Wes was having his breakfast. He decided to take his breakfast up to the warmth of his room. So he loaded up his hands and arms with his bowl of oatmeal, plate of scrambled eggs, and cup of tea but as he stepped into the elevator — ohhh! — he spilled his oatmeal all over his shoes and the elevator floor! What a mess! It looked like someone had thrown up!
“What would Jesus do if he were me?” was the first thought that came to Wes’ mind.
He set the remainder of his breakfast on the desk in his room, got a towel, and went back to the elevator to clean up the mess. As he got down on his hands and knees he prayed, “Lord Jesus, how I thank you for your mercy to me. You have cleaned up so many messes in my life. How blessed I am that you went to the cross for me. It’s a joy for me to clean up this mess I made so that hotel staff doesn’t have to.”
That’s a picture of life in the Kingdom of the Heavens.
Seeking Jesus
Let me ask you the most important question of all: Are you seeking Jesus? Are you living your daily life as an apprentice to Jesus in his Kingdom? A good test to see the reality of how much you are seeking Jesus is how you react to the situations that irritate most people. In a frustrating or unfair situation are you ruled by the peace of Christ? (Colossians 3:16). Do you naturally demonstrate love for your neighbor in a practical way?
I was delighted to hear Wes’ story because it showed me that his soul training program with working. He was seeking Jesus with all his heart!
I know Wes well. A thousand times in past years he had spilled his oatmeal — or lost his wallet, or taken a wrong turn and gotten lost, or had someone cut in front of him, or been offended by someone — and he usually reacted with frustration and a lack of regard for the people around him at the time. He never took it in stride with a smile and a readiness do what was best for others. In his past he probably would’ve let the hotel staff clean up the oatmeal in the elevator because they were responsible for letting the lobby get so cold! Or maybe he would’ve cleaned it up since he made the mess, but he would’ve complained about it.
In recent years Wes was changing — he was seeking Jesus continually and becoming more like him. He had developed a more relaxed way about his life and was usually able to respond to stress with thanks and praise to the Lord and consideration for his neighbors.
How Wes Became More Like Jesus
How did Wes experience soul transformation? What enabled him to be patient, positive, responsible, and kind in a situation that previously he would’ve reacted poorly to? For some time he had been training with Jesus to learn how to become the kind of person who rejoiced in the Lord and showed love for people near to him in all situations.
Wes had discovered the wisdom of, “Don’t try. Train.” And so he had been using spiritual disciplines to grow in God’s grace (2 Peter 3:18).
For instance Wes practiced fasting from food while feasting on the manna from heaven and regularly he met with a spiritual director to help him open up his heart and his life to God. Also he used abiding prayers (mostly from the Psalms) to help him to keep seeking Jesus’ presence all day long. In fact, he was praying a Scripture at the moment when he spilled his oatmeal!
When seeking Jesus becomes our heart’s desire in all things then we’ll find ourselves overflowing with love, joy, and peace.
