Blended Life with Jesus

Key Verse to Read and Treasure

Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him (John 6:54-56, ESV)

For Insight

Jesus did not get to live past the age of thirty-three. We can’t say he did not get to complete his life because that was the appointed span of time for him since his sole purpose for coming to earth was to die on the Cross of Calvary so we could be saved from our sins, redeemed, and liberated from the sentence of death and the devil. Jesus does not regret this. He never felt bitter about what he needed to do for us and willingly and gladly obeyed the Father, humbled himself to put on flesh and live in a mortal body that would experience life as we do. But there is something he longs to do now and that is to live life with us. The only way this will happen is that we agree to abide or live in him. Jesus knows when we agree to living a blended life it will be a beautiful, surprising, eventful, amazing journey.

At times I reflect on what I thought life would look like for me and my sole desire to become a Religious living life in a cloister community with other sisters or nuns. I’ve learned to reflect on God’s greater plan for my life. I would still be able to have that blended life with Jesus but in a way that is different from what I first envisioned. According to God’s plans my blended life with Christ would include being blended with my husband and having a family. Together as a couple and family we have served the Lord and enjoyed a beautiful blend as ministers in mission.

When my husband and I married we agreed to blend our lives together. In marriage blending includes the good and the bad, sickness and health, richness, and poverty. From my experience if your life is blended with a Lutheran pastor, you may experience plenty of poverty (sorry I digress!). But what you lack in material or earthly wealth you more than make up for in wealth of joyful service and relationships with others.    

It is said, “It is one thing to follow Jesus, another to hold him, another to feed on him. To follow him is a life-giving purpose; to hold and embrace him a solemn joy; to feed on him a blissful life.” We can look at a bunch of grapes, we can even hold them in our hand, but until we eat them, they remain outside of us. It is only in the eating they become one with us, with our bodies and its inner working.

Many could not understand the depth of what Jesus was saying in john 6:56. They only heard and thought cannibalism, but Jesus was inviting them to see and understand past their carnal, worldly, literal mindset and receive his invitation to oneness, to unity and intimacy. To receive and accept his invitation to live a blended life with him. Live this journey as one.

Jesus is transparent and admits that blending our life with his there will be some suffering, some pain, some dark days, some struggle, some loss, some grief, some sickness, some challenges, some hills, some battles, some defeats, some valleys, and a lot of enemies especially the most powerful enemy in the universe, Satan, and his devils. But there will also be some joys, some victories, some healing, some bright days, some healthy times, some gains, some joys, some mountaintop experiences, some pleasant times, some deliverances, and a lot of love, blessings, and care through the Most powerful, God of the universe, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Blended life anchors our soul to that which is lasting and eternal. We have full access to the Holy Trinity and the storehouse of treasures with our name written on them. Living a blended life with Christ there are no regrets. And the good always outweigh the bad. The one who agrees to blend their life with him always has more than enough help, power and strength. Experiencing and receiving spiritual diamonds and treasure in the pile of rubbish and ashes earthly life can serve. Spiritual blessings that are unique to those in a blended life consist of peace, patience, joy, wisdom, restoration, forgiveness, mercy, grace, healing and others unique to the blended life, especially the promise of eternal life in heaven.

Jesus I receive and wholeheartedly accept your invitation to taste and see that the Lord is good, and to blend my life with yours. I know in blended life I will have sorrows, but I will also have joys unspeakable and uncountable. I am ready to live that blended life. Amen

Ask Yourself

What about the blended life in Jesus would I not trade for anything in the world? Am I withholding any part of myself from Jesus? Am I reluctant to be totally blended with Jesus? Am I ready for the next level of blending if the Lord asks me to?  

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