Martha Olawale

“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.” Luke 7:36

Picture Jesus in the room you are in right now. Think of Him sitting right there, before you, hanging out in your space, just like He did at a Pharisee’s house in Luke 7. The thought, although intriguing, is intimidating. The questions going through my mind are: what do I do, and how should I act? Should I sit, stand, smile, or be still? Should I bow, or should I look in His face? Do I turn off the television or choose a Jesus-appropriate program to watch?

Having Jesus physically visible in the room is too much for my mind to grasp until I think of Him lounging in Martha’s house and also a Pharisee’s house. What a blessing that we have the Bible! While elevated above the universe and clothed with unfathomable glory, Jesus’s visit to Earth removes the ambiguities of His ability to understand our humanity. He is God and was fully man for thirty-three years on Earth.

Although daunting to think of it visibly, I have experienced Jesus in the room many times, alone and with other Christians. In fact, I am having such an experience now. Writing about Him means I think about Him a lot, and I almost always want to know His take on things my mind is working through. While I acknowledge that I believe in His omnipresence (always there), there are those moments you can feel Him in the room, to the point of heart-pounding.

When you live conscious of Jesus in the room, you are sure of stillness in the uproar, shelter in the storm, shield from the battles, and grace to rise again. He doesn’t walk out on you because you need to tidy up; He helps you clean up and gives newness to each day with strength for the ‘to dos’ in your life. His presence in the room makes Heaven closer and mountains like dust.

If you are a Christian and want to enjoy Jesus in the room, make worship a constant in your space. Although it won’t hurt, it doesn’t have to be on for twenty-four hours; just let your space know He owns it. It releases an aura of peace and tranquility even when things seem upside down.