Being with Jesus

Spending time with Jesus changes us, and His presence in our lives becomes so visible that others notice it too. In the passage from Acts 4:13–22, the rulers, elders, and scribes were amazed. Peter and John stood before them. They had just healed a man crippled from birth in the name of Jesus and preached to the people about the resurrection of Christ. The authorities interrogating them expected confusion and a weak defense from the uneducated Galileans. Instead, they were met with clarity and boldness that they could not explain. As a result, they realized that Peter and John "had been with Jesus" (4:13). Behind this short observation lies a great truth: what distinguished Peter and John was not their education or their natural abilities. The key was their close relationship with Jesus. Sometimes we think that the Christian life is about becoming a remarkable person for God. But the Scriptures remind us of another truth: the people the Lord is looking for are not those with an impressive biography, but those who are ready to be changed by spending enough time in His presence. Whatever your life looks like, the time you spend with Jesus is never wasted. Others may not always see what you do, but we hope they will be able to see in your life who you have been with.