Jesus In Unexpected Places
Photo courtesy of Freepik
As a counselor, I have had the opportunity to journey alongside many people as they make sense of suffering and faith over the years. At certain stages of life, we look around at the world or our lives and wonder where exactly to find God in all of it. For many Christians, this can leave us feeling unsettled because it can seem that Jesus isn’t showing up or acting in the ways we expected Him to.
Unexpected Places
We often look for Jesus in places that are neat, clean, and religious. It is tempting and understandable to think you should simply go to church if you want to find God. But Jesus did not favor those places when He was here on earth, and He is not confined to them now. In fact, Jesus consistently arrives in unexpected ways and through unlikely people. This was clear from the start: despite prophecies, the Messiah was not anticipated in a stable, born to an unwed woman from a forgotten town. The people at the time, hoping for a noble deliverer from their suffering, found His arrival to be humble, unconventional, and surprising. And today, although church is a great place to start, it is not the only key to connecting with God. Church is meant to be a gathering place for Christians to be taught God’s word and to fellowship with one another. But Jesus shows up wherever we are. It can be a prison cell, a classroom, or even in your very own bedroom. Jesus has no barriers to reaching us, and we can never be separated from His love.
Unexpected Circumstances
Much like the circumstances of Jesus’ birth, many people would say that things have happened in their own lives that did not make sense to them. Things like suffering. Suffering is hardly ever logical, equal, or mathematical, as in I did this bad thing and here are the negative consequences. However, many people will also tell you that, through suffering, they have come to know a God who transcends pain, trials, and heartache in ways they previously could not experience. Wrapping our minds around God’s Sovereignty—the idea that God has complete control even in negative circumstances—is counterintuitive. The fact that Jesus the Messiah was born in something closer to a stable than a palace was not what people at the time thought of as a God-worthy entry. Even as Jesus walked among His disciples, they expressed confusion about why He wasn't showing up fast enough, powerful enough, or sticking around long enough. Jesus had to constantly correct His disciples to have a mind aligned with a better plan.
Unexpected Attitudes
Just as Jesus prayed to the Father when He was to bear the sin of the world, “Not my will but Yours be done,” we all find ourselves in need of this position in our own lives. Relinquishing our will, our fears, our control, in exchange for God’s will is both humbling and freeing. To place our destiny in God’s loving care, knowing that He will take care of us and loves us more than we could ever love ourselves, is one of the most transforming truths that can be acquired as a human being. Knowing this about His love for us, Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1).
The Season of Christmas offers us the opportunity to prepare our hearts for the Jesus of the Bible, who shows up in unlikely places and meets us in any and all circumstances. We can trust that when things do not make sense, the Savior is able to find a way to carry us and provide what we need. He is not dependent on our resources. He is in the business of making something out of nothing. And the best part is: He wants to help us. He desires to care for us and promises to never leave or forsake us. That is worth meditating on this Christmas Season.
Further Meditation:
What would it look like to invite Jesus into the messy parts of your story?
In your current circumstances, where can you imagine Jesus showing up for you right now?
How has your faith been shaped by personal challenges and or suffering already? How have you seen Jesus in unlikely places, unlikely people or means?