How to Lift Jesus Up, and Other Mysteries

Mike Hosey, An Elder

We sing song after song about how we exalt God.  We sing  how we lift his name on high, how we will exalt him forever, how we should “lift Jesus up, lift Jesus up, for the world to see,” and so on and so on. You get the picture.

But from one frame of reference, this is patent nonsense, silliness, perhaps even rubbish. We simply cannot lift Jesus up any higher than he already is. He is seated at the right hand of God, and possesses the name above all names (Ephesians 1:19-21, Philippians 2:9)! Nor can we exalt God. He is the God most high (Genesis 14:22, Psalm 78:35, Daniel 4:2, Luke 8:28, Hebrews 7:1).  There is nothing you can do with your weak and worldly, sinful nature to lift them up, and even if you could, whatever height you are able to lift them to is embarrassingly low.

But from a different perspective, there is one place where you can lift them up, and when you lift them up in this place, they are elevated in so many others. When this chain reaction occurs, the world in which you have influence becomes profoundly changed.  The one place where you can lift them up is in your mind. This makes perfect sense because we are told that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2). It is unlikely, if you are human, that God inhabits the highest place in your mind.  A quick view of your priorities over the last few hours will likely bear this out uncomfortably well. The best way to lift God up in your mind is to pray.  Prayer is a focused mental and spiritual activity in which you prioritize communication with God. When creating this focus you are raising God up in in the hierarchy of your mind. And when God is first, so many other things fall into place. You will find that your will aligns with his. You will find that in your world, his will is being done in your life as it is being done in heaven.  You find that he will show you your shortcomings, and you will realize that he has the power to fix them. You’ll find yourself becoming more loving, more honest, stronger, and ultimately, more like Jesus.