with you I am well pleased

With you I am well pleased!

Mark 1:7-11

This is what John the Baptist proclaimed:  "One mightier than I is coming after me.  I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water;  he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.

On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.  And a voice came from the heavens, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

 with you I am well pleased

Lord,

This is what I want to hear on THAT day.   But as I sit here I realize that I have not shared you with certain people.  Actually I have withheld sharing with those in my family who I have judged as "hostile" toward the faith, those who need it the most.  I have also been lax on sharing with those I don't think will agree or on a deep level with those who I judge as not interested.  As I step back I see that all of these things are my judgement of their judgements.  I don't think this will be very pleasing to you on THAT day and it may just put me in a place I don't want to be.

What is my problem?  Why is this so hard?  

You are more concerned about what they think than what I think.  You love yourself more then you love them.  You are more concerned about what they may or may not think than their eternal souls.

Lord, that' s pretty harsh but to the point.

The path to heaven is not easy.  There's no need to dance around the issue with lots of words.  

Yes, Lord, I know that any discomfort here is nothing compared to being there that day face to face with you hearing those words , "With you, I am well pleased".