One phrase from the bible has meant a lot to me the last several months. It bounces around in my mind throughout the day and sometimes just reciting the words, savoring them in my heart connects me immediately to the presence of God. The phrase is this: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith; who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the father” (Heb 12:2).
There are sermons upon sermons packed in that one phrase. But one thought struck me today. We have a bible full of stories: people whose lives which encourage, instruct, and warn us. We have teachings and doctrines we can discern from the pages of scripture. But at the end of the day, it is Jesus himself who is authoring the story of our faith. He is the writer of this epic, this journey we now are on with God. He’s also the Perfecter, the one responsible to develop the climax and bring the story to a good conclusion, to resolve the tension, to develop the characters, and to assign meaning to a narrative arch that often feels chaotic and meaningless.
As much as we may appreciate and learn from the writings of Moses, David, Job, Ezekiel, or Paul, it is Jesus who is writing us. And it is Jesus who makes sure the words of our life breathe like God-inspired literature.
And where is this crazy story leading us in the end? Love and suffering and finally the ultimate goal: sitting down with the Father, participating in the divine relational intimacy the flows through the Trinity. The goal is “that where I am you may also be” (John 14:3). The great joy of the Author is being with God. It’s not being spiritually enlightened, or saving souls, or fighting God’s battles, or starting a movement, or leaving a legacy. It’s stepping back into the place of perfect intimacy and connection with God.
So what’s your goal in life? Is it the same goal as the one who authored and is perfecting you? Is it friendship, intimacy, and connection with God? Is it resting in vital connection like a branch attaches to a vine? Or is it something else? Is your deepest motivating joy to simply be with the Lord? Or is being with him some means to a different end?
I encourage you to let the author write his story on the notepad of your life. As you do, consider that the best conclusion to your story will be like the conclusion of his own: death and resurrection yes. But even beyond that, intimate connection and union with God.
