Suppose Jesus were praying for you. (Hint: if you’re following Him, He is. Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).
Jesus would not ask the Father for what is mediocre,
passable, fair-to-middlin’, semi-satisfying, for the ones He loves. He’d pray
for the best, the highest, the most wonderful.
So what would He ask for? If you could peek at His prayer
list, what would you find?
The Lord has already shown us His prayer list, hasn’t he? Here’s what He asked from His Father for
you and me:
Father, I desire
that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my
glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the
world. John 17:24 (ESV)
Jesus could have asked for all kinds of things for
you and me: more victory over sin, or greater faithfulness, or more
effective evangelism, or extra courage in standing for the truth.
But when it came time to ask for the best, the highest, the most wonderful thing for you and me, Jesus said, Father, let them be with Me, to see My glory!
The idea of admiring Christ is not just some sappy, sentimental,
super-spiritual idea for the mystical among us. It’s actually the greatest
thing that can happen to anyone.
Admire Him! Make it your life’s ambition. Work at it, pray
for it, study to achieve it—to know Him in His glory. And watch how love and
service and evangelism and church planting and compassion and justice all flow
out of what Jesus says is best and highest and most wonderful.
