Reconsidering Jesus

[Editor’s Note: In his Christ Talk, Chris Heinz realized his view of Jesus was way too small. Chris explains his process, in this blog post, of his growing awareness of the majesty of Jesus.]

I first realized my perspective of Jesus was WAY TOO SMALL when I was exposed to a much larger view of Christ.

At first it came as an imposition:

“You want me to reconsider my view of Jesus? Don’t you know I’ve been following him for 30 years already? I don’t need to rethink Jesus.”

Then I made excuses:

“I believe the basics, that’s enough. I don’t have time for this. You’re just talking semantics.”

Then I got mad:

“Who are you to challenge my view of Christ? I’ve been leading people for years! Are you saying I’ve been doing it wrong? My walk with Jesus is MY business!”

But finally I gave in because saying I had the King of kings all figured out was pretty prideful. I barely have my wife figured out. Who was I fooling?

In the end it was a matter of humility—admitting I didn’t know Jesus in the ways I could know him. I realized there was MUCH MORE of Christ to know. I just had to enter the process. So I did.

I’d like to make three points about this process.

“Who Do You Say I Am?”

In Mark 8:29, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” It’s a watershed moment because after spending a couple of years with the disciples, Jesus wanted to discover if they realized who he really is—the Messiah, God incarnate.

But I don’t think this is just a historical question at a particular moment in the past.

I think it’s a question to CONSIDER OFTEN. In other words, “Who do you say I am?” is a question Jesus keeps asking us. If we’re wise and humble in heart, we’ll let Jesus ask it, and we’ll be honest with our answer.

Point #1: If you want to keep growing in Christ, then let Jesus keep asking, “Who do you say I am?”

The Mouth Reflects the Heart

Now pay attention to this. Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” (italics mine). He wanted them to SAY the answer. Elsewhere, Jesus said, “For out of the overflow of [a person’s] heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). That is, you end up saying what your heart is thinking about. Your mouth reflects your heart.

So get this: HOW you answer the question reveals WHAT your heart thinks of Jesus. We can’t exactly “read” our own hearts about Jesus; we can’t see our thoughts on an X-ray. But in a way we can glimpse what our hearts “say” about Christ by the words that come out of our mouths. The mouth reflects the heart.

Point #2: What you say about Jesus reflects what your heart thinks about him.

Do Something

So what does your heart say about Jesus? If you find yourself dissatisfied with the answer, if you know Jesus some but want to know him more, if your pursuit of Christ pales in comparison to the way you pursue everything else, then here’s some advice: DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Go after a larger view of Christ so you can see him for ALL he is. Pursue Jesus in a way that matches who he is—the King of kings, Lord of lords, Supreme ruler of all. You may have to hand over your pride, stop making excuses, re-order some priorities. But it’ll be worth it. HE is worth it!

Point #3: If you’re not satisfied with your current connection with Jesus, do something about it.

Although I resisted this process in the beginning, I’m exceedingly grateful for it now. I’m seeing much more of Christ, and as a result, I’m knowing much more of Christ. He is drawing me closer to his heart and showing me more of who he really is. I’m praying the same for you. (One resource that has been helpful to me is www.ChristNow.com; if you know of others, please let me know.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Chris Heinz

Chris Heinz is the Founder and CEO of Munyay, which creates coaching solutions to help you love your life and work. He’s also the Vice President of Human Resources for EnergyCAP, Inc. and is an ICF Certified Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. Chris enjoys coaching people, writing, and speaking on the topics of engagement, coaching, strengths, prayer, and the Christian life. He’s the author of the Made to Pray book and prayer assessment. Chris lives with his wife and three children in central Pennsylvania, where they play at their cabin-on-a-creek.