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What Does Jesus Mean to You?

Written By Cassandra Bellamy, USA

One Tuesday night at Bible Study class, our teacher—after pacing back and forth in his usual manner, with one finger over his lips—looked at us and asked: “What does Jesus mean to you?”

Walking down each pew, he gave everyone an opportunity to share what Jesus meant personally. Some said Jesus was their Savior, because He saved them from doing all sorts of bad things. Others said Jesus was their strength and healer, because He healed them when they had been sick. One person shared how Jesus had been both his mother and father since the passing of his parents.

As everyone shared his or her story, I asked myself who Jesus was to me. The lines, “Jesus is a rock in a weary land”, “Jesus is the lily of the valley”, and “Jesus is a shelter in the time of a storm” came to mind. I knew Jesus was all those things and more—He is whatever we need Him to be. Yet none of those answers seemed appropriate for my personal experience.

When it came to my turn to share, I realized that Jesus has been (and still is) my friend. I remembered all those days I would cry to Him because I felt so lonely. I would ask Him why I didn’t have someone special in my life, why I didn’t have many friends and why I was born with Arthrogryposis, a congenital joint deformity.

As I cried and wallowed in self-pity, God’s peace and love would come over me. I felt better afterward, the way one feels after crying on the shoulder of her best friend. I felt that way because I knew Jesus heard all of my heartaches. He assured me that I was going to be okay (and I am).

Peter instructs the church to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7). All we have to do is to tell God what we need. He is listening. He is always there for us. I love the lyrics from the hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, which goes:

What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit. O what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptation? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge; Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms he’ll take and shield thee: Thou wilt find a solace there.

Who is Jesus to you? Do you need someone to carry your burdens? Jesus will!

1 reply
  1. Samuel Mwaura
    Samuel Mwaura says:

    My personal experience with pain started at an early age when I was a senior in highschool ….

    Soon after finishing school I began going to college but it’s at that time my struggle really began …. I was sweating a lot and I had to attend computer classes in that state …

    Then I went to culnery school where I was to train to be a chef …. The program was a two yr one I only did three qts of the course and had to drop out coz of an explained reasons …

    I came down with a mental condition that was later diagnosed as depression … I’ve been on medication for more than ten yrs and it’s been a journey of heart aches heart breaks of asking the why qns and not receiving any answers !!!!

    Personally I had to go to rehab so I could get my traction back in the game of life and it took me changing churches to regain my faith in the Lord ….

    Trusting the Lord hasn’t been easy most often I was asking why I couldn’t get my head to agree with anything I wanted to do …. I was sort of trapped inside my mind and to cut the long story short I had to force myself out of bed just to get back in bed again ….

    Time heals all wounds as one wise man said am still on medication but now ave gotten stronger and better at resolving my issues with my mental illness and thanx to God am not always on edge like I was when I first started realizing I was troubled mentaly !!!!

    Reply

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