Have you ever met anyone famous? I mean if you look through social media isn’t it filled with the close up pictures we all thought we would never get? The backstage passes, the front rows, isn’t that what we pay the extra money for?
For me it was at a pastor’s conference. Just sitting steps away from me was the pastor I have always wanted to just sit and talk with. He was just sitting there on a bench, he was dressed to go to the pool, and I knew the time was now. My palms were sweating, I had lived this moment over and over 1,000 times. Just thinking what I would say if I ever got this chance. As I walked over and shook his hand we exchanged pleasantries and the moment ended. I couldn’t wait to tell everyone who I met, and he walked out with some friends to go swimming.
This is exactly what we all live for the star struck moments. These people that have such profound impacts on our lives, but who may never even know our names. As I think back to that day, I met a man, who if I saw again would reintroduce himself all over again. But yet, we crave these moments. We want to have these moments so bad, that when our favorite person (singer, influencer, actor) is somewhere we will do whatever it takes just to be in their presence.
However, how many of us have the same level of excitement to sit and talk to Jesus? I mean think about it, the creator of Heaven and Earth, the One responsible for the air we breathe, and yet we make every excuse to miss that meeting. We have family in town, we are tired, there is a birthday party, there is a baseball game, and the list could keep going on and on. If we were talking about someone else, and that chance came would we have the same excuses for not being there to meet them?
In Philippians 1:21 Paul says this, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Paul spends the majority of this letter talking about the life he lives. Being thrown in jail (which is where he actually writes this letter from), being starved, being beat, but he is saying here if I am living I will glorify Jesus. I will make much of Jesus. In fact, the crescendo of this letter, the verse everyone can cite is found in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
How many of us who claim to follow Jesus, who claim He is the risen Son of God, who claim to have salvation in His name, how many of us can sit here and go no matter what, I will meet with Jesus? I will pay the price, I will die to myself, I will do without just to be in the presence of Jesus? Is Jesus enough?
Understand our desire is to be with Jesus, in community with not only our Father, but our brothers and sisters in Christ. So what is it that keeps us from this? If it were someone else, some mere mortal, would those same things keep you from being there?
The verses right before Paul says he can do all things, he says this, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” (Philippians 4:11-12)
The secret is simple, Jesus is enough! Want to be content, want to be satisfied? Stop running to earthly idols that only leave you feeling lacking, and run to the One who satisfies your soul.
Jesus is enough!