Jesus in the Chair

Followers of Jesus learn early, throughout the New Testament, that the Holy Spirit lives in us, giving us hope and eyes to see that the world does not know or see.  We learn – then so often seem to get distracted, even sidelined, by the complexities of our busy lives.   It doesn’t take long before we’re living life in our own strength, and forgetting that He is with us in all we do.

In recent months we’ve had a pack of five or more Coyotes living somewhere just over the wall of our yard. Because we have two dogs that have had for many years, 16 hour a day yard access through a doggy-door, it has caused us to rethink how we live.   Coyotes easily clear a 6 foot fence, and hunt in packs.  We regularly see four or five out front, and they would snatch either of our dogs in a heartbeat if they could.  These days, the dogs are outside only when under the careful watch of one of us.  We might just sit on the patio and watch them – and perhaps notice that their behavior is altered by our presence. Failure to be watchful, has already caused several of our neighbors to lose their family dogs and cats.

As deadly as Coyote’s are to beloved pets, sin is right outside our walls too – crouched there to destroy the beloved of God.  Sin will destroy a testimony, a marriage, a family, a life.

While we may have forgotten it, we too have a watchman with us – in that chair at the table, in the room where we are sitting relaxing, or dealing with the life issues with one another.  Jesus is in that empty chair, to hear our tone, our heart before our spouse, and to encourage us to see them as He does.   I might tend to see my wife with her faults – we ALL have them – but if I remember that He is there, Jesus is there to remind me that she is good-willed, a saint, created in His image, with His godly character, fully loved and a fellow heir of the Kingdom of heaven.

Keeping that in my mind can and should change my outlook, even my tone, heart and motives as we talk with one another.  What would I say to my spouse in the presence of God that would differ from what I might say were He not there?

I believe it is an act of our will that remembers God’s presence is with us.  Over the years I’ve heard some suggest that we leave an empty chair at the Kitchen table, and one in the Family or Living Room as a reminder, wherever we gather.  One family I visited years ago, kept a chair in their living room with a framed picture of Christ sitting in it.   But nothing takes the place of the sheer and passionate desire for that kind of closeness with God, and our choice to remember He is here, allowing our behavior to become externally and internally more godly  before another of His children.  Don Farr is a Certified LifePlan™ Facilitator and Coach in Paradise Valley, Arizona – find him on the web at http://www.ncs-az.net/lifeplan.htm