How You Know Jesus is Alive In You

How do you know Jesus is alive in your life?

That’s a great question.

So many people I know desire to feel alive in Jesus... growing in their faith... experiencing spiritual breakthrough... and yet feel so stagnant or spiritually bored.

Let's be honest, there is no shortage of spiritual distractions. From busy schedules to work benchmarks and from technology and media to the overwhelming number of ways to grow in your faith - there is no doubt some of us settle for status quo. I know for me, it's easy to say, "I'm fine" without being honest that I desire so much more.

Now, there is a reality that our faith can stagnate, decline, and even die. If you doubt me, check out the Story of the Sower. But, I’m an exceptional optimist. I believe that anyone can grow in their mustard-seed size faith. Jesus told a story about that, too.

So, how do you know Jesus is alive in you and that He's continuing to grow in you?

While that’s tough to answer universally, there are some patterns I’ve seen so often that they’re worth naming. It's important to note that the absence of these signs does not mean you do not have faith or that you have a dying faith... I'm simply saying that these are some patterns that I have seen in living faith. And, sometimes when we don't feel like Jesus is alive in us, we lose sight that living faith is more than just a feeling... it produces fruit.

So, here we go. These are gut checks, so get ready…

1. I am looking for something more. This is a good thing. A restless faith indicates that God wants to do something in you so that He can do something through you. People generally are OK in the known and status quo. If you desire to go beyond what you already know, then Jesus is alive and well in you. The past has nostalgia that often keeps us comfortable. The future doesn't have any nostalgia at all - it's unknown. The past isn't bad... but the desire to stay where you're at because it's comfortable and predictable might mean that you're holding onto a Jesus that fits your idea of spiritually - not His. Jesus is constantly inviting His disciples to a place of increased faith into areas of life that are unknown. He continues to do the same, today.
2. I find security in trusting Jesus more than I do in my past spiritual practices (or experiences). We all measure our faith by something. Maybe it's your devotional life, church attendance, or hours of service. By no means am I saying spiritual practices are wrong or bad. (Keep doing them!). These are fantastic lifestyle rhythms, but they make horrible gods. You know Jesus is alive in you when you're trusting your record of righteousness less and trusting your identity in Jesus as a child of God more. Indeed, God is doing something new in you so that He can do something new through you!
3. I am committed to Jesus' mission more than I am to ministry programs. Ministry programs are wonderful. I came to know Jesus through a ministry program. They're here to stay. But, they're only that... programs... vehicles, strategies, and pathways for us to experience God and join Him on His mission. You know that Jesus is alive in you when you're more committed to making disciples who make disciples more than the ways it happens. Cars that get me from home to work may come and go... I may need different tires depending on the time of year... and eventually, my car will die and I'll get a new one. But, the purpose of why I need a car remains the same - to get me from my house to work. Whether I ride my bike, call an Uber, or drive myself - the method is secondary to the mission... and when Jesus' mission is my mission - then the method is always secondary.
4. I am becoming less critical of others. This is a big one. It's easy to be critical of other people's sin. So often when Jesus is alive in us, our critical spirits become less and Jesus' spirit of discovery and learning increases. I love what author/speaker Kristen Ivy says, "Seen people see people. When you allow yourself to be seen, you begin to see people differently." When Jesus is alive in us, we see people because we are seen by Jesus. As a result, we begin to see people differently. We become less critical and more accepting and inclusive of them.

Those are four signs I've come to notice in my life that Jesus is alive in me. . .  what signs have you seen in yourself that Jesus is alive in you?

Love you more than you know. See you Sunday!