Anabaptism is about having a relationship with Jesus: a relationship that has a beginning but no end.  We cannot simply grow into this relationship, not knowing just how or when it began.  We may have had warm, fuzzy feelings about Jesus when we were little children, but we lacked the maturity then to make a commitment to a lifelong relationship.

As in all relationships, there will be ups and downs in this relationship with Jesus.  The beginning is usually not very smooth.  The first thing that He tells us is that we are good for nothing sinners.  Maybe that doesn’t sound like a very charming way to begin a relationship, but if we don’t begin on the basis of truth, there will be no real foundation for our relationship.

We probably thought we were really doing quite well, at least the best we could under the circumstances, considering all the unreasonable turkeys with whom we have to deal.  But Jesus has nothing to offer good people.  Finally we accept His judgement and He forgives us.  One of the first things we notice is that those miserable turkeys around us have become pretty decent people.

This is part of the miracle of the new birth: we not only begin a lasting relationship with Jesus, but our relationships with other people become much more enjoyable.  There will likely be some who resent the change in us and don’t want to have much to do with us anymore.  We remember that we used to be like that and do not judge them.

We have brought a lot of unnecessary baggage into this relationship.  Jesus doesn’t point it all out at once, but from time to time He will point out an attitude, an activity, or something about ourselves that makes us feel really good and say, “This is hindering our relationship, why not just let it go?”

The smaller we become in our own eyes, the more we trust Jesus, the more precious our relationship becomes.  We become part of His flock, His disciples, and together we enjoy this relationship.  However, there are enemies out there.  Some of the flock will wander away from Jesus, they will be attacked and wounded, perhaps even captured.  We begin to perceive that the enemies are not people, but ideas and feelings, spirits sent by the arch-enemy of Jesus and of all those who walk with Him.

Seeing that, we rejoice that He is leading us in a safe way, supplying our real needs, and preparing us for something far beyond what we can see or imagine right now.