"Steep Yourself"

I've never told anyone to go "steep yourself." But that's how Eugene Peterson paraphrazes instructions from Jesus:

"What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself (Luke 12:29-32).

The only steeping I've ever known involves a tea bag and hot water.


So I looked up "steep," in the dictionary, with these results:

1. To soak in liquid in order to cleanse, soften, or extract a given property from.
2. To infuse or subject thoroughly to.
3. To make thoroughly wet; saturate.

Jesus calls his followers to subject themselves thoroughly to God-reality, God-initiative, and God-provisions. That's how he lived: God-saturated.

Followers of Jesus follow Jesus.