What If You're Near Jesus, But Not With Him?

A few years ago, I was working in the living room, focused, productive, feeling like I was crushing it. Meanwhile, my one-year-old son Cruz was crawling around nearby. Cute, right? Until it wasn’t.

At some point (and I have no idea how long this lasted), Cruz managed to crawl under my recliner chair and start wailing. And I? I just kept typing, completely unaware. It wasn’t until my wife walked in, looked at me like I’d lost my mind, and rescued our son like he was caught in a bear trap that I realized what had happened.

Total dad fail. 😳

But here’s the point. Cruz was with me, but I wasn’t really with him.

That moment hit me later. Isn’t that how we sometimes treat Jesus?

He’s with us, but we’re not really with Him.

And yet, at the very heart of discipleship is this simple, beautiful invitation: Be with Jesus.

More Than Doing, It’s About Dwelling

When Jesus called the twelve disciples, Mark 3:14 says He appointed them “that they might be with Him.” Before preaching. Before miracles. Before ministry. Their first calling was proximity. Presence. Relationship.

That hasn’t changed.

Yes, Jesus has ascended, but through His Spirit, He’s still with us. Every day. Everywhere. You don’t need to walk dusty roads in Galilee to walk with Jesus. You can be with Him in your car, at the kitchen sink, on your morning run, or while rocking a fussy baby back to sleep at 2 a.m.

That’s not second-best. That’s the gift of the Spirit.

Abide and You’ll Thrive

John 15 invites us to “abide” in Jesus like a branch in the vine. In other words, make Him your home. Settle in. Stay a while.

Too often, we treat Christianity like a checklist or an IKEA manual. Step 1: Go to church. Step 2: Sign up for a Bible study. Step 3: Try to be a better person. But Jesus offers something far better than religious assembly instructions. He offers Himself.

It’s relationship over routine. Friendship over formula. And here’s the secret. Being with Jesus actually changes you. You start to grow. You bear fruit. And others notice. Not because you’ve mastered the Christian life, but because you’ve been with Him (Acts 4:13).

From Start to Forever

This idea of “withness” isn’t a minor theme. It’s the entire story of Scripture. God with us in the garden. God with us in Jesus. God still with us through the Spirit. And one day, God with us forever.

The more time you spend with someone beautiful and glorious, the more time you want. Not because they’re unsatisfying, but because they’re so deeply satisfying.

You can know Jesus better. But you’ll never know anything better than Jesus.

So don’t just serve Him. Be with Him. Today. Right now. Because He’s already with you.