I have often said that following Jesus is not for the faint of heart. Generally I’ve spoken about this in terms of the gritty, sometimes dangerous, consequences of being a follower of Jesus. In numerous countries around the world, following Jesus could easily cost you your life. Even in the West, declaring you are a disciple will often be met with sneers and derision. But there is another way that dedicating oneself to Jesus is not for the timid. He will often lead you to places that are far outside your comfort zone. To follow Jesus with all your heart will require great faith and will surely involve great risk.
Faith
Surviving Trials
Life is full of the unexpected. We plan our lives in one direction when out of the blue everything changes. We can’t control every circumstance around us. Our own lack of discipline leaves us open to failures we would have never imagined. Dreams die, hopes are dashed, and everything we once had figured out no longer makes sense. Such is the plight of practically every soul who has ever walked our planet. Somewhere along the line, despite our best intentions, our plans go awry. These are the moments that prove whether or not Christ is truly the Lord of our lives.
Fully Alive
Who wouldn’t want to live fully alive? We all want to be the best version of ourselves that we could possibly be, to achieve all that we were created to do. God has equipped each of us with a unique blend of passions, talents, and gifts. The reason we have been so blessed to receive these things is so we might accomplish all He has purposed us to do. To not utilize our gifts, to shrink back from obstacles, or to turn away from what we fear results in living a life less than the one we are capable of living. None of us want to reach the end of our life knowing we could have done more. So how do we live life fully alive? I think there are three keys…
Finding Peace within the Storm
In Mark 4:35-40 we read of Jesus calming a storm. If you grew up attending Sunday school you are probably familiar with the story. The disciples and Jesus got into a boat to cross a lake. They had been ministering all day and were looking to get away from the crowds for a little rest. In the middle of the night a fierce storm sprung up, with the wind and waves buffeting their boat. The disciples panicked and felt certain they would capsize and drown. Meanwhile Jesus was sleeping through the whole thing. In desperation the disciples woke Him and asked if He even cared they were going to die. At the climax of this story, Jesus simply got up and told the wind to stop and the waves to be still. Immediately all was calm. Crisis averted; Jesus saves the day. It was a common theme in the lives of the disciples.
What Does it Mean to Believe?
You might look at the title of this post and wonder how I could ask such an obvious question. I think we all have a concept of what it means to believe something. The dictionary defines ‘believe’ as “to accept something as true”. So if we accept that Jesus is the Son of God then it could be said that we believe in Him. But the more I study and learn about what the Bible teaches, I think the word “believe” means so much more. In the pages of Scripture, belief is always accompanied by action as if one could not be separated from the other.