Following in the footsteps of Jesus is not easy. Christ was selfless, passionately driven, fiercely devoted, and unwavering in His mission. This is how He lived every second of His life; He never let up. How can we possibly ever achieve even a modicum of that in our lives? When we ask Jesus to be the Lord of our life and put our total trust in Him, His spirit empowers us to do everything He did, and more (John 14:12). It’s not up to us to figure out the “how”, we simply need to acknowledge our weakness and obey Jesus anyway. As Steven Furtick puts it, “Your greatest limitation is God’s greatest opportunity.”
If you’re like me, it seems that some days are better than others when it comes to following Christ. Why is it that sometimes everything clicks, and other times everything falls apart? I recently heard Sean Stephenson speak, and he mentioned the importance of having a WLW list. As he explained it, this is a “When Life Works” list, a list of what’s going on in your life when everything just seems to work. If you’ve ever had one of those days when you felt a deep spiritual connection with God, what was going on in your life that allowed you to be in that place? What habits or practices contributed to your ability to draw near to Him? When I reflect on the times in my own life when I feel closest to God, I can pick out certain things that led me to that place.
When we are manifesting the gifts and talents God entrusted to us, we come alive and are in tune with our Creator. For example, one of the items on my list is writing. If I am not writing regularly, my walk with God will start to waver. Why? I’m living outside of the person He created me to be. There is no harmony in dissonance. If we aren’t in tune with God, our lives play out as sheer cacophony. When we are pursuing Christ through the gifts He gave us, we find peace and our lives are infused with a sweet melody.
Another entry on my list is keeping myself physically fit. If I’m not exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and eating in a healthy manner, my spiritual life suffers as well. We can’t execute such a strenuous mission without keeping ourselves as finely tuned as possible. The most important and obvious element on my list is spending time with God. When I neglect time in prayer, studying the Bible, or learning from other followers of Christ, my spiritual life becomes shallow and ineffective.
What’s on your WLW list? What activities do you need to give priority so that you are engaging in them every day? What are the gifts God has given you that need to be regularly expressed? We were created to do the work God has given us to do (Ephesians 2:10), and that work is done best when we are using the unique talents God has placed within us. What makes you feel most alive? These are the moments when we are most effective in pursuing the mission of Christ. These are the moments when life truly works.
What’s on your WLW list? Share some of your ideas and encourage others by leaving a comment below.