FAMILIARITY CAN STEAL YOUR WONDER
MARK 6:1-6
Growing up, my mom's go-to meal was white rice topped with a rich, tomato-based beef stew. We ate it at least once a week. I became so familiar with that meal that I dreaded the nights it was on the dinner table. What had once been a delicious meal became ordinary. My familiarity caused me to lose my appreciation for it.
Then one evening, my wife, Verneda, joined my family for dinner. It was her first time trying the dish, and she couldn't stop talking about how incredible it was. She kept telling me how lucky I was to eat something so delicious every week.
In that moment, I realized something. She had a sense of wonder for the meal that I had lost years earlier. The food hadn't changed—my familiarity with it had.
The same thing can happen in our relationship with Jesus.
It is possible to become so familiar with Jesus that we lose our reverence for Him.
The people of Nazareth had watched Jesus grow up. They knew His family, His trade, and His hometown. So when He taught with extraordinary wisdom and displayed remarkable power, they weren't drawn to worship—they were driven to skepticism. Instead of asking, "Who is this?" they asked, "Isn't this the carpenter?" Their familiarity kept them from recognizing His true identity.
The danger wasn't ignorance. It was assumption.
The same danger exists for us today.
After years of attending church, reading our Bibles, praying before meals, and singing familiar worship songs, our relationship with Jesus can quietly shift from reverence to routine. We know the stories, but we stop expecting God to speak through them. We know the songs, but we forget they are declarations of the greatness of our God. We become comfortable with the things of God without being captivated by the God of those things.
Familiarity whispers, "I've heard this before." Reverence prays, "Lord, what do You want to show me today?"
Every day is an opportunity to choose reverence over routine. Before you open your Bible, ask God to reveal Himself in a fresh way. Before you pray, remember that you are speaking with the Creator of the universe who welcomes you into His presence. Before you walk into church, expect that Jesus still changes lives—including yours.
The people of Nazareth missed what Jesus wanted to do because they believed they already knew everything there was to know about Him. Don't let yesterday's experiences keep you from today's encounter with Christ.
Jesus is not merely someone to admire. He is the Savior to worship, trust, and obey. When we approach Him with humility and reverence, our hearts remain open to His transforming work.
Prayer: Lord, guard me from becoming so familiar with You that I lose my awe of You. Replace routine with reverence and expectation. Open my eyes to see You for who You truly are, and help me approach You each day with a heart ready to listen, trust, and obey. Amen.