One of the most dramatic stories in the Bible is that of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22:1-17). Most are familiar with the details, but allow me to quickly recap. God promised Abraham that many nations would come from him, and that the entire world would be blessed through his lineage. Yet Abraham and his wife had grown old and still had no children. But miraculously, Sarah became pregnant and had a son named Isaac. Fast forward about ten years. God told Abraham to offer Isaac, he and Sarah’s only son, as an offering to Him. After all these years, all that waiting, it now appeared that God would take away what seemed to matter most to Abraham.
commitment
Who’s Following Whom?
Many people endeavor to follow Jesus, but most end up expecting Him to follow them. Whereas in the beginning we surrendered our lives to Christ, the way we live day to day is more like inviting Him to follow us on our quest to grab our dreams and accomplish our goals. When times get tough, it’s great to have Jesus by your side. Just in case we get into a bind, there’s nothing quite like having the Son of God show up and rescue you from your troubles. Once back on solid footing, we are quick to reassume the lead and relegate Jesus to a secondary position, with Him presumably just waiting to be summoned when we need Him.
Spending Everything
Do you consider yourself a world changer? If you choose to follow Christ, that will be your mission. It doesn’t take much effort to realize our world is an absolute mess. Financial systems are crashing, morals are nonexistent, and violence is out of control. The message of Jesus is a cure for all that is wrong with society. It is the job of His people to take His good news to the furthest and darkest corners of our planet. If we impart the love of God to the masses, the peace of Christ will heal our nations. The only question is, are we up to the task?
Is This the Day?
As followers of Christ, there are a couple of things we all believe. We believe He lived, died, and rose again. We also believe He will return one day to redeem His followers. If you aren’t a believer, some of that can seem hard to swallow. But for those of us who have dedicated our lives to Jesus, these are the basic truths that are as comfortable as breathing to us. Perhaps that’s the problem. As breathing requires no conscious thought, neither does the life that so many of us claim to be living for Christ. We believe the right things, talk in the approved manner, and even attend the obligatory meetings. As living a Christian life has become second nature, we risk eternal salvation not only for ourselves but for everyone who has not yet come to Jesus (Matthew 7:21-23).
Staying Connected
In John 15:1-8, Jesus tells a story that conveys almost everything we need to know in order to live as His disciple. It’s the familiar parable of the vine and the branches. The fact that the passage is so familiar is problematic. Those who have followed Christ for many years and have become well versed in the Bible often tend to read well-known portions of scripture rapidly and without a lot of engagement. The parable of “The Vine and the Branches” is all about engagement. Jesus says that if we will stay connected to Him, He will stay connected to us. Being connected requires a relationship, which means we will be engaging with Christ and His words.