Judah Smith talks about timing his prayers, saving the world, and what he wishes he had known about Jesus, prayer, mission, and loving people. Pastor Judah is the exclusive live speaker at the Resurgence Conference broadcast location in Bellevue, WA.

What I wish I’d known about Jesus

I wish I had known that Jesus is first, and Jesus is enough.

When I was a youth pastor, I remember talking with a lot of young men about issues they were going through. My stock answers to their problems were prayer, Bible reading, and sheer grit: “You’re struggling with purity issues? How much are you praying every day? Ok, pray twice that much, read your Bible—three times in the Old and two in the New—and I’ll see you next week.”

My intentions were good, but my advice missed the point. I thought that if I focused on righteousness and behavior, people would grow closer to Jesus. In reality, it’s when people grow closer to Jesus that true change happens.

We don’t expect good things because we are good—but because Jesus is good.Tweet

Matthew 11:29–30 says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” As I’ve come to know who Jesus is and what he has done for me, my focus has shifted from my sin to his grace and from my works to his perfect, finished work. Now I understand: Jesus is enough.

What I wish I’d known about prayer

I wish I would have known that prayer is about intimacy, not about impressing God.

I remember asking a new believer years ago how much he prayed every day. He looked at me blankly. “I don’t know—I’ve never timed it. Do you time your prayers?” It was an honest question, and I was embarrassed to realize I did time my prayers, and that that number was actually pretty important to me. For me, my prayer time represented my spirituality and therefore my right to expect good things from God.  

It’s when people grow closer to Jesus that true change happens.Tweet

But I was wrong. We don’t expect good things because we are good. What a depressing, dead-end way to live! We expect good things from God because Jesus is good, and he is our righteousness.

One of my dad’s favorite passages was Matthew 7:11, and the longer I pastor (and the longer I parent my three kids) the more profound it becomes: “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

What I wish I’d known about mission

I wish I had known that our mission as individuals and as a church isn’t complicated: it’s simply to show people who Jesus is. I love the simple way Philip tells Nathanael about Jesus (John 1:45–46). To paraphrase: “Hey Nathanael, we found the Messiah. Come and see for yourself!”

Our “mission” doesn’t have to be a ten-letter acronym, a three-part alliterated statement, or a doctrinal thesis. We just show people Jesus. It’s a privilege, it’s fun, and it’s way less pressure than carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders.

When Jesus looked at people, he didn’t see them through the filter of their sin.Tweet

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not criticizing detailed mission statements or well-thought-out strategy. I believe God gives each church and ministry a specific calling and he reveals to us in detail what he wants us to accomplish.

But the bottom line is that our mission is more about Jesus than about us. I’m not smart enough to figure out how to save the world, my country, or even my city. The very idea is exhausting. But I can show people who Jesus is: one day at a time and one person at a time.

What I wish I’d known about loving people

I wish I had known that it’s okay to love people even though they are still sinning. That sounds like a no-brainer, so let me explain.

I know I’m supposed to love everyone. I’m a Christian, and besides that I’m a pastor, so it’s pretty much in my job description. But in the past, especially when it came to people with blatant problems such as addictions or sexual sins, I felt like the relationships had to be filtered by their sin. I couldn’t enjoy their friendship or celebrate their successes without qualifying everything with, “Hey, that’s great and all, but you know, God wants you to change in this area.”

Our mission isn’t complicated: it’s simply to show people who Jesus is.Tweet

But Jesus was actually famous for enjoying the company of sinners. Just look at the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19. Jesus clearly cared more about this man’s salvation than about his sin. He wanted his heart first, not his behavior.

When Jesus looked at people, he didn’t see them through the filter of their sin. He saw them through the filter of his grace. He knew he was the answer for their sin, and that freed him to love them right where they were. Sooner or later their behavior would catch up to the relationship.

I know we need to help each other grow in Christ, and I know there are times to confront sin. But that is not our first priority. We are called to love like Jesus: an ongoing, unconditional, extravagant, and even scandalous love toward those who deserve it least.