By Robert Halsey Pine
“Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens …” (Hebrews 4:14 NRSV).
How simple yet so hard for us to see Christ’s life and example, to make an application to our own lives that which we see in Him. Jesus came to us not as someone seeking status, but one begotten by God and made a Great High Priest.
He did not live his life to glorify Himself, but to glorify God. Unlike us, Jesus lived His life without sin. By having shared our humanness, Jesus can understand our struggle. He also understands perfection, as He lived it.
Why is it so hard for us to accept God’s appointment of us to do His work? We fight Him at every step. In our self-centeredness we try to appoint ourselves to do God’s work as we see it. What makes us think that we know better than God does? When we accept God’s commissioning of us, the way is clear. When we commission ourselves, look out!
Every day those who seek to do God’s will are tested. About the time we think that we are in control, something pops up to say that we are not. The more we turn things over to God for His control, the less agitating are those reminders that shake our spirit and try to do us in.
Ultimately, we are in a battle with ourselves to make us surrender to God through Christ Jesus. The more we resist, the more frustrated we become and the more we find scapegoats on which to lay blame.
So, we must get up each morning prepared to fight the battle and let God lead us through the day. We must look for Him in the roadblocks, the interruptions, the hurts, the jealousies, the anger, the betrayal and the gossip.
We cannot choose Him any more than Jesus did. Jesus was chosen, and so are we.
We can refuse our appointment by God and commission ourselves or follow the example of Christ.
What can we afford?
Robert Halsey Pine is a graduate of Northeastern University and completed the program of Theological Education by Extension: Education for Ministry, School of Theology, the University of the South.