During my vacation in Mexico with my family 2 weeks ago, I thought that I would not be thinking much about church related concerns for a week; I would just rest and relax. However, I honestly made the mistake of equating “not thinking about church related concerns” to “not expecting a spiritual encounter or revelation from the Lord” and I was wrong. As I was about to go on a day tour with my family to see Mayan ruins in Tulum and Snorkel in a park called Xel-Ha—a day that I thought would be just fun and relaxing with no Christianity involved—the Lord spoke to me in a very practical way.
Michaela, Jesus, our tour guide and me.
As we got into the van that would take us to our destination, the tour guide introduced himself to us. His name was “Jesus”, (in Spanish). He said “Today, you get to follow Jesus”. That introduction totally got to me, as I thought I was just going to relax and enjoy the whole day. Then, an awakening came from the tour guide. How many people can say that they were able to follow Jesus, literally? Only the apostles, and some early Christians, can speak as those that followed him literally and spiritually. That day I got to follow “Jesus” the tour guide, but God spoke to me and brought me into the right perspective.
We followed “Jesus” wherever he went. First, he showed us the Mayan ruins. As I was looking at those ruins, I was not amazed as I thought I would be. All I saw were buildings that were destroyed or ruined—nothing distinctive, nothing worthy of special attention. Then, “Jesus” called us out for not listening while he started explaining what was in front of us. I was laughing with my brother-in-law and talking about something totally different. He said something like “you need to listen to and follow “Jesus” today” or something to that effect. This got my attention. The Lord spoke to me, again. Then “Jesus” started explaining about the ruins, and the uses of the structures in the ancient days. Suddenly, it made sense to me; it became powerful to me because I listened to “Jesus,” and his revelation of what these things in front of us were all about.
Jesus explaining the Mayan ruins at Tulum, Mexico.
Sometimes, even something beautiful and powerful, which is right in front of us, becomes meaningless, powerless, and useless because we don’t understand what it’s all about. It could be our calling, our gifts, our relationships or whatever the Lord has given us that we take for granted because we don’t get what it’s all about. However, if we follow Jesus wherever we are and his revelation is warranted whenever, and wherever, our existence becomes more meaningful. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, it says that if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old is gone; the sinful nature is erased and replaced with a sinless-spiritual nature that is dependent on our relationship with Christ.
Sometimes, we make the mistake, as followers of Christ, of having categories/areas in our lives where He is and is not welcome. I will always remember what a pastor friend of mine once said, “I am Christian that happens to be a pastor, but others declare their profession first and the fact that they are Christians second.” We are a Christian wherever we go regardless of our location, position, or situation 24/7.