With Him

“He appointed twelve that they might be with him…” Mark 3:14

I’ll be the first to admit that much around our house goes undone because our family is hanging out having fun. While some things are necessities and should probably have higher priority, many others are going to stay low until later because time with my teenage girls is limited.  They might learn a bit more responsibility if every weekend we worked down the large and looming list, but they will learn a lot more relationship the way things are.  It’s a balance, but I want them to always choose people over projects, and so I try to do the same.

Somehow Jesus had something like this in mind when He picked His apostles. Since He only had three years to minister and make the Father known, it would seem best for Him to choose some boys and get ‘em busy, but that’s not the way it worked.  Jesus wanted those He called to come close for a while before He sent them far for a bit.  “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him”(Mk 3:13).  

The job description for the disciples made it clear their relationship with Jesus came before their responsibilities to Jesus.  “He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons”(Mk 3:14-15).  Yes, Jesus had some things for them to do, but first and most He had somewhere for them to be—with Him.

Oh, the fun they had with Him—listening, loving, learning.  The good times around the table, the laughter in the living room, the toasts at weddings, the tears at funerals, the serious times in the synagogue, the scary times on the lake, and the many good, long talks during good, long walks.  Just being together with Jesus.  

When He did send them out, they were ready because their abiding led to abundance, and when they returned and reported all that happened, Jesus whisked them away for a private retreat(Lk 9:10).  He wanted to be with them, and they wanted to be with Him.

While some things seem different these days (like Jesus isn’t coming to sit with us at supper), not much has really changed for He promised that through the Spirit He and the Father would come to us and make their home with us(Jn 14:23).  That sure sounds like He wants to be with us and wants us to be with Him.

So let’s.  Let’s be with Him.  Let’s make sure that relationship comes before responsibility and that intimacy has priority over accomplishment.  If our service is done only out of duty, it will seem hollow and forced, but if it flows from fellowship with Jesus, it will be full and sweet.

The only way to do what God wants you to do is to be where He wants you to be—with Him.