Everyone knows what it is like to miss someone. I miss my daughter who we took back to college over the weekend. The house is too quiet. There are no shoes in the foyer or empty toilet paper rolls in the powder room – tell tale signs of her presence. My heart hurts and longs to talk to her, to share in her experiences, and to just feel her nearby.
As I thought about this on the drive home without her, the Lord put a thought on my heart -simple, yet powerful. “This is how I feel about you.” We know that Jesus loved us so much that he endured unspeakable abuse so that we might have life with Him in eternity. That we would have a relationship with the Father. And that Holy Spirit would dwell in us and walk this earthly journey as our partner.
But have you ever really thought about the fact that Jesus wants to spend time with you? Jesus desires your friendship. In John Chapters 14-17, Jesus is sharing his final words with his disciples in the Upper Room where they’ve had the Last Supper. These chapters are all about personal relationships. Jesus calls his disciples “no longer servants…but friends.” (John 15:15). They are in anguish about the betrayal Jesus has forecasted. The suffering He will endure. And His departure from them. Jesus sees this and in John 14:1-3 He comforts his friends. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms, if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you may also be where I am.”
Jesus is not an impersonal god or deity. He walked the earth in human form with human feelings and desires for friendship and relationship. That didn’t end when He returned to the Father. His physical absence from earth doesn’t change the fact that He wants to be in relationship with us.
Relationships take work. They require us to make time to be with those we care about. They require us to be open and available. When we aren’t connected to the people who love us, they miss us, and we miss them. Too often we choose earthly relationships over Jesus. Maybe we think Jesus doesn’t care about the little stuff. Maybe we think, “He knows everything anyway.” Maybe we want to blow off steam without the risk of facing a difficult truth about ourselves. Whatever the reason or justification, we relegate Jesus to second, third or lower in our relationship chain.
I believe when we are absent or distant from Jesus, He misses us. The powerful truth isn’t that Jesus needs us. He is complete. It is that He wants us.
When you run to your friends first for comfort when you are hurt, Jesus misses you.
When you run to your significant other first to celebrate, Jesus misses you.
When you run to your coworker first to complain, Jesus misses you.
When you go to your therapist first to overcome struggles, Jesus misses you.
When you wake up each morning and take for granted the day given you, Jesus misses you.
And you, my friend, miss out on Jesus.
It isn’t that Jesus doesn’t want us to turn to one another. He created us to want relationship; and we are called to comfort and care for one another. But don’t forget to come first to the one who craved your friendship so much that He chose to die for it. The one who willingly endured beatings so brutal that he sweated blood so that you and He could be together forever. Because if you do, you have missed the gift of Jesus.
You miss the opportunity to celebrate with the one who made the dream a reality.
You miss the opportunity to be comforted by the one who understands more deeply than any other.
You miss the opportunity to learn from the one who knows all.
And maybe most of all, you miss the opportunity to curl up in the arms of the one who loves you more deeply than you can fathom.
One who has a room set aside just for you so that one day, you can be together again.
Jesus misses you when you choose to share your life with others before Him. He wants to be your priority. He wants to be desired by you. So, before you post on social media or call a friend or run to your significant other, tell Jesus.
Tell Him you are scared. Tell Him you are excited. Tell Him you are nervous. Tell Him you are grateful. Tell Him you love him. Tell Him that He’s your best friend.
Most importantly, tell Him you’ll never miss Him again.
I encourage you this week to think of ways to strengthen your friendship with Jesus. Nothing is too small or too big to be shared with our Lord and Savior.
This week’s prayer can be found at https://simplyjoy.online/prayers/dont-let-me-miss-you-jesus/