John the Baptist surrendered his life to God. He set aside the distracting things of the world so that he could be open to following God’s will. John played his part in encouraging others to surrender their lives to God’s loving grace. He could never have known the impact of what he did.
We, too, will never fully know what impact we
might have on the lives of others as we encourage them to receive God’s salvation. We do not need to. We simply need to live in a way that reflects the hope and joy we have found through Jesus.
The Responsorial Psalm on Sunday encouraged us to declare: “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.” (Psalm 126)
When we are tempted to stray off course
down rough paths of power, privilege or entitlement, we should pause and consider that, in the end, it all comes down to God’s grace. We cannot, in our strength, attain eternal life. Turning our focus inward only separates us from everything that makes up God’s creation. It’s a lonely, dangerous and unnecessary path.
God planned to spend eternity in a relationship with every one of us. John encourages us to return to the path that
leads to such a glorious eternity. John did not have the luxury of witnessing Jesus at work. God had promised he would send a saviour, and because John was open to God, he was given the gift of recognising that Jesus would be that saviour.
Perhaps a John the Baptist-type person has directed you to Jesus. Perhaps God opened your faithful eye to recognise Jesus for yourself.
Spend some time today remembering how you came to recognise the way to Jesus and allow the joy of that time to rekindle in your heart.
If you are still searching for that path, quietly ask Jesus to come and show you the way.
You may also wish to ask Jesus to help you negotiate the ups and downs of your daily life in a way that will keep
you firmly focused on the salvation God has already provided for you.
Finally, you may ask if there is anyone Jesus would like you to bring with you on this journey with him.
Reflections by Cherie-Lynn van der Merwe
