Cousin Love

"Please, please, please!"  The voices rang out as the kids were begging their parents, "Please let us spend the night!"  It was such a common occurrence when the cousins got together.  So much so, that I remember my mom giving instructions to my sister and I on one occasion, "Now when we get ready to go, I don't want to hear you all begging to spend the night!"

It was that way with us cousins.  We loved being together and my cousins were some of my best friends growing up.  On my mom's side, my cousin, Ron, was closest to my age and his sister, Karen, was closest to my sister's age.  So, we were a perfect match to play and have fun together.  Our adventures were filled with fun and mischief alike.  Whether it was paper routes, softball games, Barbie dolls and G.I. Joes or bicycle rides and trail bike adventures, tree houses and camp outs...we loved spending time with our cousins...there may have even been a few adventures involving eggs and a roll of toilet paper (I apologize for our few mischievous escapades).  Our cousins on both sides were our friends and we grew up cherishing those times, and still cherish the memories we made as kids together.

Photo by Jordan Whitt on Unsplash

Did you have those kinds of experiences with your cousins?  Sometimes cousins can be as close as siblings.  They play a special role in our lives and have a special place in our hearts.

There is another couple of cousins that I've thought about recently as I've been reading through the Gospel of John.  Jesus and John the Baptist were second cousins.  Their mothers were cousins: Mary and Elizabeth.  They had a unique connection, however.  Unlike the closeness I experienced with my cousins, John the Baptist said of Jesus, "I myself did not know him..." (John 1:31).  The cousins lived apart from one another growing up, Jesus in Nazareth (northern Israel) and John, in Judea (southern Israel).  So, it is not surprising that John didn't grow up knowing Jesus personally.  However, John apparently grew up being taught something very important about the relationship between he and his cousin from the north.  John had a calling...a purpose for his life.  As a matter of fact, an angel appeared to his father, Zechariah the priest, to foretell the miraculous birth of his son and the purpose he would fulfill.  The account of this is found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1.  Among other things that the angel Gabriel said to Zechariah, was that his son would prepare the way for Jesus to come onto the scene.

And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
                                                                Luke 1:17

Fast-forward 30 years and we find John in the wilderness outside of Jerusalem, preaching and baptizing people who came to hear his message.  He was fulfilling the purpose for which he had been created as he proclaimed, "I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”  When Jesus showed up, John went on to declare, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:19-42)  Then the most interesting thing happened.  John's followers left him and started following Jesus!  John was successful in fulfilling his purpose and it meant losing all of his followers to someone else!  But, then, that was the idea, right!?  Exactly!

Consider what we can learn from John's example of fulfilling his purpose

• He Found His Purpose Through Surrender

John's parents had received the prophecy from the angel, prior to his birth.  No doubt, they spent their lives teaching and preparing John to live out his purpose.  And what a purpose it was!  He was to prepare the way for Messiah to begin his ministry of revealing the redemptive plan of the Father to the world...to come as the sacrifice for all sin.  There is every reason to believe that John enthusiastically embraced his purpose and knew the gravity of doing so, as it would impact the world eternally.  Could it be that your purpose has the potential of impacting the world...even one person...eternally?  Not only is it possible, it is definite...a God-given purpose always fulfills God's plan of reaching the world with his salvation.

• He Didn't Make It About Himself

How many times do leaders get stars in their eyes and lose sight of what they were originally intended to accomplish?  Large crowds were coming out of Jerusalem to hear John's messages.  He was the hottest thing going in the religious world there in Israel's capital city.  He was garnering so much attention, as a matter of fact, that the religious leaders (Pharisees) sent representatives out to question who he was and what he was doing!  Talk about front page news!  Had there been a talk show circuit, he would have been on it.  Yet, in all of the fanfare and public recognition, never once did John make it about himself.  At every question and at every opportunity, he declared, "I am only a voice crying in the wilderness...this is about Messiah."  He pointed people to Jesus.  When we live our purpose boldly, it will always point people to Jesus.  He will be on display in our lives as we give witness to His work in and through us.

• He Didn't Compare His Purpose to Someone Else's

Jealousy sometimes gets in the way of our ability to see and live our purpose.  There is so much temptation for us to compare ourselves to one another.  Whether it is seeing someone in the "limelight," or that person who has the ideal situation, or the one who appears to be having so much "success" in making an impact, we can lose sight of our unique and powerful purpose as we get lost in obsessing about what someone else is doing.  John didn't let himself get lost in such trails of thought.  He saw that Jesus was Messiah and was the one who was rightfully taking the spotlight.  John was satisfied and honored to be the one who would introduce Him to the world.  There is no greater satisfaction than knowing we are fulfilling our unique reason for being.

• He Knew His Purpose Was Part of a Bigger Purpose

When we see the big picture, it is easier to understand how important and how integral our part is to the mission in which we are engaged.  In mental health therapy, it is often helpful to guide the client in exploring their big picture...past experiences, future goals, relationships and their worldview...in order to put their present circumstances into perspective.  It tends to help give clarity.  That is not much different than understanding our purpose more clearly.  When we consider the bigger picture of what God is doing to bring hope, healing and life to a hurting world in darkness, it brings our lens into focus.  John knew that it was all about Jesus...it was all about His mission.  That made John's purpose all the more important.  When John's disciples left him to follow Jesus, that was not failure.  That was confirmation that John's purpose was being fulfilled just as it was intended.  Your purpose is no different.  Sure, you're not introducing Jesus' public ministry to the Jewish world and ultimately to the greater world.  By fulfilling your purpose, you ARE introducing Jesus to the world.  That is the bigger picture!

How has God called you to surrender?  In what ways have you been tempted to make the focus on yourself?  Who are the people that have helped you see your purpose?  How does your purpose serve the greater purpose of God's plan of salvation for the world?  I hope you will share your thoughts in the comments below.