Sitting and Standing

I love my morning quite time.   I curl up in a big arm chair. Close at hand have a cup of coffee, my Bible and my journal.  It is a place that I meet God.  It is a sacred time of quite, no interruptions and the source of my peace of mind and heart.  This peace filled times is my fuel for life.  It keeps my engine running smoothly, and gives me a sure path to take on life's journey.  When I do not have this delightful time, I short change myself.   It is very self destructive to rob myself of this time.   That is really as far as I have pondered my own life patterns.   I have followed this particular pattern because it is good for me and my soul.  I realize not everyone lives by the same patterns, and that what works for me does not necessarily work for others.    Some people connect with God through their exercise time.  Many it turns out do their praying and contemplating during their morning hygene routines - a time when they are alone and uninterrupted.  Hey if it works, I say do it. I have been gaining an understanding lately of this quiet time being a time of me sitting at the feet of Jesus.  I never would have labeled it this way in the past, but recently I heard someone famous say that they received the following advice from Billy Graham who said: "Always preach Jesus, to sit at Jesus’ feet and to make it a regular habit to memorize scripture."   Two of these pieces of advice seem pretty straight forward, but what exactly does sitting at the feet of Jesus look like?  I am sure it isn't just about my arm chair meditation.   This is a deeply profound truth and pursuit that is worth understanding intellectually and practically.

So, I ponder, who sat at Jesus's feet during his time on earth?   Mary (Martha's sister) did, she is perhaps the most well know example of one who chose the one needed thing that could not be removed from her. There was also - once he was healed - the man who was possessed with the legion of demons.  Jesus transformed him from a wild, unsettled, man in agony to be one who sat in his right mind with Jesus near the sea of Galilee. There was the prostitute who washed His feet - which would have required prostrating herself to him.  A woman purified by her own tears and repentance. 

Then of course the second level of consideration, who did not sit at his feet? Most notably, the Pharasees did not.  Nor did the majority of the religious leaders.  Neither did the political leaders of Jesus day sit with him, or learn from him. These men of power and prestige would not lower themselves to a place of honouring Christ with their undivided, open minded and hearted attention. What interesting contrasts.

It seems, on the surface, that the skill, heart and capacity to sit at Jesus' feet is directly related to our adoration of Him and  our need of Him to impart transformation to our hear, mind and soul.  Those who sit are those who follow.  A quality of focused attention is required of one who sits at Jesus' feet.  Keith Green said it so well, a Christian is someone who is bananas for Jesus.  We, you and I, don’t get to be “bananas for Jesus” through work or even through will-power, though will power does help a bit.   We get that way through contrite confession, adoration and surrender.
Every day, every minute our combination of these three attitudes and actions bring us closer to the envied position of sitting at the feet of Jesus.   Only in the unabashed reliance on God as our portion do we come to the place of sitting in peace.  May you be blessed today to come to a place of sitting in adoration and surrender.