What story are you telling with your life? Is it something you intentionally write or are you just waiting to see what might happen along the way? God has blessed us all with opportunities and situations throughout our lives that shape who we become. What is the common thread that runs through your story? Is it a story of love or one of bitterness, deceit and regret? As followers of Jesus, our lives should read of the beauty of our Father and His all-encompassing love. Perhaps you’ve not ever taken time to consider the story your life is weaving. If not, I encourage you to begin today. Here are three areas on which you should focus.
mission
The Day that Turns Your Life Around
Maybe you’re different from me. Perhaps you accepted Christ and immediately began serving Him with all your heart and never looked back. If that’s your story, then I envy you. My life hasn’t worked out that way. Since accepting Christ it’s been a roller coaster of obedience and outright defiance. Some days are better than others; honestly, some years are better than others. I’ve seen growth, sometimes in small increments, sometimes in leaps and bounds. Throughout the majority of my days has been this uncomfortable thread of sin. No matter how committed I’ve attempted to become, disobedience always seems to creep back in. Can you relate?
What does it look like to follow Jesus?
Despite being the wealthiest people to ever walk the face of the earth, we still face daily struggles that interfere with our desire to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Most of us do not struggle with knowing where we will find our next meal or have to face being tortured because of our faith. Still, each of our lives brings their own set of challenges that can discourage us. Usually it becomes difficult to remember for whom we have pledged to live. When we do remember, it is a struggle to understand what it looks like to follow Jesus. I’ve got three practical applications for your life to help you put some discipline behind your devotion.
Lessons from a Tightrope
I recently watched Nick Wallenda walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. Beyond the amazing spectacle of the feat, it held a special significance to me as I used to live only ten minutes away from where he walked across. I’ve seen the enormity of the rocks and heard the thunderous crash of the waters first hand. Having ridden a boat that carried me to the base of the falls, I am fully aware of the amount of mist he had to deal with during his crossing. All these things made the breathtaking event that much more intense and incredible to watch. Beyond all of this, I was struck by Nick’s faith and began thinking how life is essentially a tightrope. It is perilous as we walk along the narrow way; we face constant trials that threaten to knock us off balance and perhaps even push us to our death. Watching Nick Wallenda traverse the mighty falls, however, I noticed three key principles he followed that allowed him to accomplish his mission. We can apply these same principles to our walk with Jesus.
Keep it Precious
Every moment of our lives we are faced with a plethora of decisions. With so many choices our response is often to do nothing at all. The speed in which life moves today can be overwhelming and even paralyzing. When faced with too many options we many times choose to react to whatever result our indecision brings. This leads to a stressful and unfulfilled life, one that is a far cry from the one Jesus created us to live. We are here for a purpose, and there is a limited amount of time we all have to accomplish that mission. I want to look at three ways we can overcome the overwhelming decisions we all face on a daily basis.