Jesus sticking out all over

The greatest compliment I have ever received was from a dear friend who told me one day that she saw "Jesus sticking out all over me." At first I wondered what she was talking about and the puzzled look on my face must have led her to explain herself. She told me that I was so full of the love of Christ that it was evident in my eyes, my face, my smile, my actions...just all over me! I thought about it for a few minutes and was extremely happy to know that my love of Christ was flowing from my inside to my outside. As I looked toward my friend, I couldn't help telling her about a story I'd heard as a teen. The story begins with a little boy attending a tent revival. At the end of the service, the preacher gave an invitation telling folks they needed to ask Jesus to come into their hearts. The little boy walked down the aisle toward the preacher and when he got close, the preacher bent down to speak to the boy. "Did you ask Jesus to come into your heart tonight, son?" The little boy began shifting back and forth shuffling his feet as he looked toward the ground. “Well, I’d like to,” the boy said,"but I got to figurin’….I’m so little and Jesus is so big – He’s gonna stick out all over!” Smiling at the congregation, the preacher said, "that's the point son, that's the point!"

Most people have heard Christians talk about asking Jesus to come into your heart. It's a simple way to help others understand the concept of salvation. When someone does accept Christ as the Lord of their lives, Jesus immediately comes to dwell within them. Jesus said, “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” (John 14:20) In other places in scripture we learn that His Holy Spirit is within each believer (John 14:17) and His word is to fill our hearts and our minds (Luke 8:15, Psalm 119:11). With all that Jesus in us, He should be oozing from our very pores!

So why don't we see Jesus coming out of all the believers we know? Don’t get me wrong, I do know some people that seem to ooze Jesus on a daily basis. Most of the Christians I personally know don't. Why is that? What gets in the way and how can we change it? It seems to me that we have prioritized the things of the world and put them over the things of the Lord. That greatly hinders the flow of Christ in our lives.1 John 2:15-16 he says this, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions–is not from the Father but is from the world.”

In the Bible, the apostle John warned Christians that many who claim Christ are not really His followers. He admonished them to be ready to examine their faith to see whether or not it was genuine. He wanted them to understand that Christ followers show evidence of their faith in the way they lived. He explained that we are to love God the Father and His Son, Jesus, more than we love the world.

Often times, we care more about what people think of us than what God thinks of us. We are quick to cover our own mistakes and slow to defend what others see as mistakes on God’s part. We are slow to forgive others even though we've been greatly forgiven ourselves. For many of us, the only thing that's coming out all over us is pride and selfish desires.

My number one desire is that Jesus would continually flow out of me. I want others to see how grateful I am for all He's done in my life. I want His love to flow out of me like an endless river. I want my words, my deeds, my actions to reflect Jesus and Him alone. In fact, I'd prefer if others would only see Jesus and not even see me.

Oh look! What's that I see? Is that Jesus sticking out all over you too? If He's filled you completely with His love, His mercy, and His grace, it can't help but leak out of you! Don't let your pride get in the way and block the flow...let others see Jesus in you today!