Living in Jesus or Fitting Jesus In?

It was supposed to be light entertainment. A movie airing on one of those “clean” streaming television channels. Just a throwaway line spoken by one fictional character to another.

I don’t even remember the name of the program. But the line hit me hard.

The dialogue not only caught my attention, it made me sit up, grab the remote, and click pause. Providing a bit of wise advice, the character spoke of examining life to see if they were living in Jesus or fitting Jesus in their life. Ouch!

Christians talk a lot about Jesus in us. We quote verses about the Holy Spirit dwelling in believers. We teach children (and adults) to “invite Jesus into your heart.” But now I was confronted with a painful question. Are there times when I’m trying to fit Jesus in rather than living in Him?

• Fitting Him into my plans?
• Squeezing Him into an opening in my schedule?
• Adding obedience to Him as another item on my to-do list?

Is Jesus just another spoke in the wheel of my life or is He the hub? Am I so drawn to the busyness of serving that some of what I do is what I planned rather than what He wants for me? Tough questions I need to ask myself. Maybe you do, too.

So what’s the difference? The more I consider the question, the more I think about how we can refer to living life as Christians.

A Little Jesus

A few years ago, a popular trend promoted sharing miniature figures of Jesus. When we reach into a pocket or purse and our fingers touch the figure, it’s meant to be a reminder of His presence.

Please don’t get me wrong. Reminders of Jesus’s presence are not a bad thing. But if that’s the only thing we’re relying on to remember who we belong to, then something is dreadfully wrong.

The “little Jesus” can also illustrate the place Jesus has in our lives. Small enough to fit in a pocket, He’s also small enough to manage. Too often, we want just enough Jesus to feel good. We welcome His teachings about loving one another. Or about our heavenly Father’s forgiveness. And teachings about mercy and grace? Bring them on!

But skip talk about sacrifice and surrender and taking up our cross. And skip teachings about holiness and obedience when His commands don’t align with cultural norms. Or about loving our enemies. That’s too much Jesus for some people. A little Jesus is more than enough.

Who’s in Control?

When I’m focused on fitting Jesus into my life, what I’m really saying is that I want to retain control. I get to decide what’s best for me. I’m the best person to determine just how much conviction I want to receive from the Holy Spirit. And I can make exceptions to obeying God’s Word.

Did you notice the proliferation of the first-person pronoun, “I”? It’s all about me, not about my Savior. Not about the heavenly Father who loves me enough to declare me justified in His sight because of Jesus’s sacrifice. And not about the Holy Spirit who is working moment by moment to transform me so that I grow in my conformance to Christ.

Am I living in Jesus or am I content to merely fit Him into my life? The more I ask that question, the more convicted I am by the answer.

What are your thoughts?