In a recent post (see “God’s Will Today”), I wrote that “God’s will isn’t something you do, it’s someone you become”. I wanted to spend a little more time on this because it is the key to living a fulfilled life, one that is spent following Jesus. We spin our wheels and waste so much time in futile pursuit of what God wants us to do with our lives. The question should not be, “Lord, what do you want me to do with my life?” Instead we should be asking, “Lord, who do you want me to become in my life?”
James
What it Means to Follow Jesus
The most popular post I ever wrote was titled, “What Does it Mean to be a Christian?” I wrote that after a close friend of mine had accepted the Lord and I wanted to give him a primer of sorts as to what living a life devoted to Christ should look like. I believe that we who have called ourselves Christians for a long time probably skim over articles such as that one, assuming they are too basic or that we already know what being a Christ-follower entails. The past couple of years have convinced me that nothing could be further from the truth. The vast majority of people calling themselves Christians have no idea what it means to truly follow Christ.
Work Out Your Faith
The good news is that God has uniquely created you to do specific work for His Kingdom. The bad news is you probably aren’t doing it. It’s not that you intentionally rebel against Christ or His mission. You simply do not give it enough conscious thought. Have you ever taken the time to sit, think, and discover what role you play in the dance of eternity? Too many of us float though life, trying to be good and loving people, all the while never making an impact for the Kingdom. What’s your purpose in this life? What are you doing to live out that purpose in a way that glorifies God and furthers His mission?
It’s All about Love
Everything we do for Christ, every one of His commands, comes back to a single word: love. Whether it’s seeking to bring justice to the oppressed or set victims of human trafficking free (Isaiah 58:6), we do this out of love. When we feed the hungry or provide clean water to villages that previously had no access to it (Matthew 25:35), we demonstrate God’s love. Using our time and resources to care for the single mothers or homeless people (James 1:27) demonstrates our love for them. Love is the key to every ill of our society. It is the salve for every wound and conflict. Love is the only answer, and it looks exactly like Jesus.
Living like Jesus
I recently read of an individual who decided to move outside his comfort zone to live a life that looks like Jesus. Josh is 20 years old and had befriended an elderly homeless woman. One night she got beat up pretty badly, and Josh offered to take her to a friend’s house where she could stay for awhile. The woman wasn’t comfortable leaving her usual surroundings. So what did Josh do? He didn’t walk away thinking he had done what he could. He didn’t berate her for not accepting help. No, he decided to start sleeping on the street next to her to provide protection. What a beautiful picture of Jesus! Josh went to where the hurting person was rather than wait for them to come to him.