Leading Hands
Use Facebook to offer to pray for your friends. Learn how.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake you will save it”’ (Matthew 16:24,25 NLT).
What do you notice when you first read these verses? When I read these verses, I immediately noticed the personal sacrifice. Surrender your selfish ways – we don’t always realize our selfishness, because our actions are familiar and comfortable. Take up your cross—the cross is a symbol of sacrificial death—this is not necessarily good news. Also, Jesus implores us to give up our lives. It appears like we are giving up plenty, but the truth is—Jesus’ words contain the key to authentic life—following Him, surrendering our lives, not preserving them is the answer to life.
“If any of you wants to be…” following Jesus is a choice, a decision. He won’t force us to follow. Unlike following someone on Twitter, Jesus’ invitation is to follow Him close. Follow Jesus faithfully and obediently—align with His Lordship and His mission. He asks us to choose to follow Him—turning from our selfish ways (our usual and comfortable ways).
We don’t just invite Him into our life; more importantly, He invites us to leave our life and follow Him. The life Jesus calls us into does not mean life on a parallel track but a life on an opposing track—leading us in the opposite direction of the natural — the opposite direction of self.
We all have crosses to bear—troubles and challenges, obstacles and struggles. Jesus tells us to pick up our crosses and not let them deter us from following Him wholeheartedly. If we allow Him, He can use the crosses we bear to shape our character and deepen our faith.
He wants us to choose to follow Him and to keep following…even unto death. If we try to hold onto personal comfort and safety there is no promise of life. He promises life to those who abandon themselves to follow Him and His way.
To follow Him suggests He is always moving, seeking, loving. Where? He is among the broken, the hurting, the abandoned, and the forgotten. Jesus pursues those who are lost. He is waiting for us to join Him.
Will you say yes to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him, and let Him lead? Will you follow Him into a hurting world in need of a Savior?
Lord, I choose to say yes to your invitation to follow. Align my heart with yours. Lead me each step into the life You have for me. Thank you for your promise of life to those who will follow You without reservation!
Questions: Are you ready to say yes, to Jesus invitation? What areas of your heart need realignment with His? Are there ways you are trying to hang onto your life?
5 Responses to “Leading Hands”
Leave a Reply
Start a Conversation
Media
What Do You Fear?
What do you fear, and why? Is it holding you back from realizing your full potential?
>Watch
- Contact
- |
- Advertising
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Link to Us
- |
- Media Releases
- |
- What we believe
good article, i am a follower of God and i try to go where he leads, its never easy because out sinful nature gets in the way
Great is the decision to invite Jesus into your life. That’s the first step, everything else will change as time goes on. Jesus becomes as a seed that grows and sprouts, then turns into this wonderful tree. As He takes root, we decide to turn to what He wants for us as He has such a wide scope of vision. “Jesus be my center, be my source, be my light….be my vision, be my path , be my guide, Jesus.” Amen. Good for you, blessed be.
YES!! He is already in my life and I love Him sooo much! Where He leads I goooo!
“We don’t just invite Him into our life; more importantly, He invites us to leave our life and follow Him.”
“Jesus tells us to pick up our crosses and not let them deter us from following Him wholeheartedly. If we allow Him, He can use the crosses we bear to shape our character and deepen our faith.”
Thank you so much for these meditations. So powerful.
I am ready to say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation! I want to follow Him and obey Him in every way. Yet, I know there are areas of selfishness that I need to release and ask the Lord to give me His strength to keep my eyes fixed on Him. Too often, I am not willing to deny myself, but change is my commitment today: to inquire of the Lord, and then obey His voice instead of listening to what I want to do or FEEL like doing when that differs from God’s will. My prayer today and from this moment forth is, “Thy will be done in my life and with my life!” In Jesus’ name. Amen.