Who’s Your Person?

“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.” (Galatians 6:2-3 NLT)

Are you a Rocky fan? Can you hear the theme song? We likely first think of Rocky the boxer, but to me the real story for us is his love relationship with Adrian. Remember how he pursued Adrian, who at first wanted nothing to do with him. But over time their growing love made them feel they could do anything as long as they had each other.

If you’re not familiar with the story, Rocky is a very small-time boxer, but the reigning champion’s promoter talked the champ, Apollo Creed, into extending to him an invitation to fight the champ as a kind of promotional ploy. No one, not even Rocky, at least at first, believed he had a chance to survive more than a few rounds, but the fight went the distance, and the response was so strong they scheduled a rematch.

So, as Rocky trained for the second, now championship fight, he and Adrian’s relationship grew ever stronger. She let him know that she believed in him and urged him to train hard and do his best. Do you remember, at the end of the hardest and bloodiest fight of his career he stood in the middle of the ring and yelled out: “Yo, Adrian, I did it!”

At the peak of his most difficult battle the person with whom he most wanted to share his victory was Adrian, she was his person. No one mattered more, no one else’s opinion of him mattered but hers. I think of that scene as I fight the battle of my life with Alzheimer’s, with my precious wife who has pledged her strength to walk with me every step. She’s MY person whom I love and with whom I will face whatever the future holds.

Who’s YOUR person? Who is it that you trust with your life, with whom you’ll face the future with confidence that you’ll not face it alone. If you’re married, I pray you feel that way about your spouse, but if not, please know that Jesus is your Person. He has proven His love as He laid down His sinless life on the Cross for you.

If you’re not yet walking with Jesus, look into His eyes and thank Him for doing for you what you could never in eternity ever have done for yourself. Realize that the forgiveness He offers you is a gift of grace that you don’t deserve, but He loved you enough to hang on a cross to make it available to you. Realize as you stretch out your arms and raise your hands to heaven and say, not only with your mouth, but with your heart – “For me! Thank You Lord for dying on that Cross for me!”

Because of what Jesus has done for us we have the privilege to be part of His living Body on earth. It’s called His Church and it’s comprised of multiplied millions of broken people all over the world who have found their Person in Him. You can find peace, hope, forgiveness, and new life – a life you never imagined you could have, not because of anything you have done or can do, but by putting your trust in the One who said: “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

In my mind’s eye I see my wife and I, arms around one another, tears of joy streaming down our faces, being whole in Jesus in heaven, saying together: “He did it! He kept His word and walked with us every step. Praise God! Jesus did it!”

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊