Thursday thoughts: 'By the way, we all need Jesus'

Jill Johnson

I had been thinking about Jesus this week and different words that describe Him.”

Have you ever thought about the phrase "by the way?" I think it is an often-used phrase, so I decided to do some research on it. I looked up the term, and one of the earliest meanings of it is “while going along, in the course of one’s walk or journey.” 

God immediately spoke to my heart about Jesus. Jesus needs to be the one constant, active part of my life while I am going along, in the course of my walk and in my life journey. I had been thinking about Jesus this week and different words that describe Him.

For some reason, I was thinking of five-letter words that remind me of Jesus (since Jesus is a five-letter word - I know it might seem strange, I can’t help it – it’s how my mind works) and it became sort of a challenge. I thought of faith. I can talk about Jesus all day long, but without faith – complete confidence – I’m just talking. Faith is believing what I am saying. By the way…. that’s Jesus.

I also thought about mercy. Mercy is a love that responds to a human need in an unexpected or unmerited way. Jesus is the ultimate picture of mercy. I am forgiven because of that mercy and blessed by His mercy. I have examples of mercy that I can read about in my Bible. By the way…. that’s Jesus.

I also thought about the word light. Jesus is the light of the world, but what I found interesting was the different things the word light could mean. Of course, when I think of Jesus as the light, I think of him making the things in my life that I need to see visible. He can make blind eyes see. He is a light in the darkness. Light can also be used as an expression – the light in your eyes. I pray that Jesus leads me with the light of His word and is a visible presence to others as a light in my eyes. I want Jesus to bring to light the areas in my life that need to change just as much as I want others to see His light through me. By the way…. that’s Jesus.

I thought of power, grace, share, and shine as all five-letter words that describe Jesus. I think of the word peace. Jesus offers peace. He offers the inner peace that brings calm and tranquility, and eases fears and emotions even when the outside world seems chaotic. The Bible says, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Only peace from Jesus can guard hearts and minds. By the way….that’s Jesus.

I know there are so very many, but it was amazing to me how many “fit” with Jesus. The last one I will tell you about is the word truth. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. My faith in Jesus is based on the truth of who He is, what He has done, what He can do, and what He will do in the future. Every answer to life and truth is written in the Bibl,e and the absolute indisputable truth is that Jesus never changes. His truth is eternal. By the way….that’s Jesus.

I am sure you will think of five-letter words now that make you think of Jesus simply because I suggested that thought into your mind. I need to think of words that describe Jesus. I want to focus on Jesus while I am going along my daily life. I want to trust the course that Jesus leads me. I want to share the love of Jesus. I want the light of Jesus to shine in my life. But most of all, I don’t want to take one step on my journey without Jesus. By the way... we all need Jesus!

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Jill Johnson finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother, and Georgian. Jill is retired from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.