Jude 20-21, NLT - But you, dear friends, must
build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy
Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you
eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
Right before Jude’s famous
benediction (our reflection for next time) we have some succinct prescriptions
for staying true to the faith that is Christianity.
1)
Build each other up
2)
Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit
3)
Wait for God’s mercy
The first key to staying true to
faith in Jesus is to NOT try to do it alone.
This seems obvious, but it is even more powerful than many realize. Of course, it’s easier (most of the time) to
do something if you have good help. This
is certainly true of living the Christian faith. Seeing others doing what I’m trying to do
makes what I’m trying to do more accessible and attainable. Having others encourage me and pick me up
when I fail makes it easier to get back on the right track. Knowing others are watching me adds
accountability to my actions. But when I
commit to actively help others live their faith, my faith is strengthened in a
way that it can’t be any other way. This
is why Jesus was less interested in attracting crowds than investing in his small
group of twelve disciples. Of course,
Jesus helped them, but by them helping Jesus, they became strong in ways they
never could by simply being a part of the crowd. Faith in community is God’s purposeful design.
Next, Jude talks about prayer in a
specific way. Pray in the power of the
Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we get the idea
that prayer is simply us talking to God.
While that is certainly part of it, what is happening is much more
expansive than that. In many places in
scripture, we are reminded that God resides within us. Far too often though, we live as if that were
not true. More to the point, we pray as
if we are asking a God in a far-off place to come help us with our struggles. To pray in that way is to neglect the truth
that God is literally in the breath we use to speak our prayers. When Jude tells us to pray in the power of
the Holy Spirit, he is reminding us that when we are praying, the idea is to connect
with the power that God has already placed within us.
Finally, Jude asks us to “wait for
God’s mercy, who will bring you eternal life.”
I believe several interpretations of this prescription are possible, but
I receive it as a call to humility.
Humans seek affirmation in many things, but ultimately we are affirmed
by the God who created us, is redeeming us, and will sustain us forever. Seeking ultimate justification and affirmation
from other sources can lead us to pursue things that our unworthy of our divine
creator, redeemer, and sustainer. Living
with the conviction that, no matter what anyone else may say or think about us,
only God’s valuation of us truly matters in the end. To the extent that we can live with this assurance,
we are free to simply live out what God has called us to do, not being
influenced by the pull of other sources of importance, prestige, or
position.
Question: Which of
Jude’s prescriptions did you most need to hear today? What will you do about what you have heard?
Prayer: God, thank
you for the power of community, prayer, and humility. Help us see these powers already at work in us. Convince us of the steps we can take right
now to more fully cooperate with Your power in our lives. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for God to lead you to someone you can help today.
Song: No Matter What
– Ryan Stevenson
