Jesus’ Secret to a Better Life

By Bill Gaultiere

Can you imagine the fruit you’d see on the mission field if your ministry took a page from the Gospels? People everywhere would become enthralled with Jesus and enthusiastic about following him! 

Why was Jesus able to deliver a demon without even saying a prayer?

How could he calm storms? Walk on water?

What was behind feeding over 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish?

You’re probably thinking, That’s an easy answer—Jesus was the Son of God!

Of course, that’s true. The perfection and power of Jesus prove that he was the Son of God. But his sonship does not by itself explain why he was able to do what he did. Jesus was also fully human and felt our weakness (Philippians 2:7-8, Hebrews 4:15).

How did Jesus live so peacefully and powerfully? What was his secret?

Jesus abided in perfect oneness with Abba continually (John 10:30). He never acted on his own but only did what he saw his Father doing (John 5:19). Amazingly, Jesus had the Holy Spirit without limit (John 3:34, Colossians 1:19).

Jesus learned to do what he teaches us—how to participate in the work his Dad was already doing in a relational way that wasn’t burdensome (Matthew 11:28-30).

Before Jesus calmed the first storm, he rested peacefully in Abba’s arms (Matthew 8:23-27).

Before Jesus walked on water, he spent the whole night in a prayer vigil. He talked with his Papa, shared his heart, and listened to him—being loved by him and loving him back (Matthew 14:22-33).

Before Jesus cast out a demon, he had already done lots of fasting and praying, which put him in a posture of trusting his Father (Matthew 17:21).

Before he multiplied the loaves and the fish, he learned that God’s words (not food alone) are the real source of life (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4).

Jesus learned the power of these words in private—as he feasted on them during his 40 days of solitude in the wilderness and throughout his life. He mastered living entirely sustained by his Father’s words and offered these same words to others, which were Spirit and life (John 6:63).

Jesus’ intimacy with the Father was the secret of his wisdom, compassion, and power. This life-giving path to knowing Abba personally is a secret Jesus wants to share with you! (Matthew 11:27)

Father-Son intimacy was not automatic for Jesus because he was the Son of God. Instead, Jesus grew in a loving and trusting relationship with his Dad and learned to obey him (Luke 2:52, Hebrews 5:8).

You can become more like Jesus—remaining calm in storms, showing compassion for hurting people, praying for the sick, offering God’s wisdom to others, and blessing those who mistreat you.

This could feel overwhelming or even discouraging in your life or mission work. But you can grow in abiding in Jesus and trust that he will grow fruit in and through your life (John 15:5). He empowers us to live in intimacy with Abba and love others as he did.

I pray that you come to know the peace and power of Jesus by coming to know Jesus himself!

A starting place to learn how to train in Jesus’ way is my book Your Best Life in Jesus’ Easy Yoke: Rhythms of Grace to De-Stress and Live Empowered. After reading, you might consider cultivating deeper intimacy with him at a Soul Shepherding Institute retreat.

This article is submitted by Carolyn Trevino of Soul Shepherding.  Soul Shepherdingis a Missio Nexus member.  Member organizations can provide content to the Missio Nexus website. See how by clicking here.