I have been neglecting Jesus in areas of my life. My own selfishness has been getting in the way. These are not joyful realizations or comfortable words to share, but they are the truth. It is so easy to be self-absorbed within our own lives. Seeking Jesus first is more than getting up early to read the Bible and pray. It’s a life- long commitment to the way we live every second of every minute of our lives. Everything we think, say, and do must be done within the framework of serving and honoring Jesus. There is nothing we possess – be it material goods or personal skills – that did not come from God. He gave us everything. The only way to honor such immense blessings is to give them all back to Him.
Discipleship
Ready to Succeed
Everyone wants to succeed. I’ve yet to run into an exception to that statement. Our definition of success may vary, but at the end of the day, we all want to feel we’ve been successful in our endeavors. Above all else, followers of Jesus want to succeed in following in His footsteps. Success for us means we have been obedient to Him, have loved and served others well, and have glorified Him with our thoughts, words, and actions. But many feel as if they aren’t succeeding in their walk with Christ. They wonder how they might do better, or what they could change in order to succeed. Successfully following Jesus isn’t about trying harder, but rather simply being obedient.
Acceptance and Honor
“Our great honor lies in being just what Jesus was and is. To be accepted by those who accept Him, rejected by all who reject Him, loved by those who love Him. What greater glory could come to any man?” Those words were written by A.W. Tozer over 50 years ago, but still ring just as true today. Our purpose and calling in life is to look like and glorify Jesus. Everything we do should point people to Him. Anything besides this in our lives is superfluous. When our entire aim is to be accepted by those who accept Him and rejected by those who don’t, our daily activities become much more focused.
Impact Your World
How can I serve God best today? It’s a question each of us should ask at the beginning of each day. The way we frame our days determines how we live our lives. If we wait for life to just happen to us, we will constantly be in a reactionary mode, and this is not the optimal way to live. Reacting results in circumstances dictating our own actions. A better way to live is to proactively and intentionally influence what circumstances will actually occur in our life. Remember the old saying that the best defense is a good offense? That sports analogy works well in life. We want to make our lives happen rather than wait for things to happen to us. As followers of Jesus, the absolute best way we can do this is to determine ahead of time how we will impact our world for Christ each day.
Awake and Alive
There’s something very wrong with Christianity today. There are too many saying they believe in Jesus but living their lives as if He doesn’t exist. There are many others who at least put on a show to make it look like they love Jesus, only to revert to their true selves when no one else is watching. Our churches are filled with people proclaiming the name of Jesus every Sunday morning, but once they leave they do everything they can to hide their so-called faith. The result of this is a world that is increasingly violent and hostile. Until true believers in Jesus, people like you and me, begin to live out our calling and the mission of Christ, our world will continue to spiral downward. And we will be accountable.