Found in Translation

Chewing on this...

I was thinking today about the proper translation of the Word of God.  The Bible has been translated into hundreds of languages, over hundreds of years, and for each translation to be as accurate as possible, each version has to be copied from the original languages in which it was written - Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.  This means we cannot be satisfied with a Bible that has been translated from Greek to Latin to Italian to German to English...and so forth.  That is a grave risk.  Like a game of telephone, the Great Message of all messages would easily be lost in translation.  No, I need a Bible that's been translated straight from the original to the English...no other languages in between.   

Now hang with me.  If this is true with the written Word of God...how much MORE true is this with the Living Word, Christ Himself?

Just as the Bible in my hands is a written copy of an original Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek Bible from days of old, so my LIFE is to be a proper translation of the original Living Word, Jesus Christ.  So often we imitate one Christian or another, yet we fail to imitate Christ.  We are debating over "who follows Peter and who follows Paul," when the cry of the Scriptures is follow Christ!  I've ministered in loads of churches and youth ministries.  Probably my greatest frustration in church ministry has come from realizing how much people have fallen in love with their pastors, and how little they actually know and love Jesus.  Hello...He's the point!!!

Today Jesus challenged me with this:  Is my life a proper translation of the original Living Word?  Am I presenting Him in proper context?  Am I giving an accurate understanding of who He truly is through my life, in both word and deed?  Do people know what Jesus is really like because of me, or is He lost in the translation of my life?

My challenge today from Jesus was to measure my life against the Original.  He is both my Origin and my Destination, yet way too many times I find myself using other "copies" as a measuring rod.  But Jesus is the standard.  He is the canon against which my life must be weighed.  Am I living like Jesus?  This is the goal and the purpose of my life.

So tonight I am praying that Jesus will be found in my translation.  I am praying that people will know the truth about who He really is because I represent Him accurately, with love, grace and truth.  God, let Your Word that is written on my heart be purely reflected in my life.  You are the point.  My eyes are on You.

Eye on the Prize, Tara.  Eye on the Prize. 

"Looking from all that will distract, to JESUS, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith..."