If I abide in Christ, I, too, can experience peace in the midst of chaos. But I must stay connected to my Lord, as Jesus stayed connected to His Father. Jesus demonstrates how this is possible. Following are seven things [two given] Jesus did that allowed Him to remain connected to His Father.
Dependence
“I do nothing on my own” (John 8:28) seemed to be the theme of Jesus’ life. When a hemorrhaging woman touched Jesus’ garment, hoping to be healed, power drained from Him. If power drained from Jesus each time He healed, why didn’t He become “empty”? Dependence upon the Father allowed Him to draw from a well of limitless resources. Jesus invites me to draw from this well so that I, too, need never feel empty or drained. But access to the well is only gained through wholehearted dependence upon Christ. I must allow Jesus to be my all: the breath in my lungs, the thoughts in my head, the words on my lips. My spirit must proclaim, “Apart from [Christ, I] can do nothing” (John 15:5). My actions must declare, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).
How does this work? When I am weary but have a Bible study to teach, I picture the tired me resting in a chair while Christ in me teaches the study. When I want to look at a magazine but my children want me to read them a book, I order the selfish me to step aside while Christ in me reads Hop on Pop (for the millionth time). When I feel anger toward the driver who has just cut me off, the angry me moves over and Jesus in me offers a sympathetic you-must- have-had-a-bad-day wave. Much of my dependence upon Christ involves me getting out of the way so that the King of kings may speak and act through me.
Obedience
In John 15:9-10, Jesus challenges, “Remain in my love, … just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” Jesus said, “I love the Father and … do exactly what my Father has commanded me” (John 14:31). Sometimes this verse translates in my life as, “I love the Father and do pretty much what He commands me.” I do not make it a point to disobey God, but neither do I make it a point to wholeheartedly follow the holy standard God prescribes. The Bible says, “Do not judge”; instead I “discern.” Scripture commands me to forgive as I have been forgiven; I sometimes forgive as I think the offender deserves. God warns, “Do not lie”; so I exaggerate. “The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). I cannot abide if I will not obey.
If the peace of God is absent from my life, perhaps it is because I am refusing to obey the Holy Spirit warning me to align my life with the Word of God. Focus Jesus said, “I know where I came from and where I am going” (John 8:14). Christ’s every action was embedded in His purpose. He did not debate over whether or not to include certain activities in His schedule. Rather, the deliberateness of His every action spoke, “That is why I have come” (Mk. 1:38; see also Lk. 5:32, 9:21-22, 12:49-51, and John 12:27).