First – Choose to trust God with all of our hearts.

Proverbs 3:5,6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take (NLT).”  Along with you, we both have things in our lives that do not make sense.  There are unanswered prayers, situations that are unsolved, mysteries about how the Lord is working.  We both agreed that we need to trust Him with the things that make no sense, asking Him to direct us and lean on Him, not our own understanding or perception of things.

Second – Choose to be thankful.

I have a tendency to see the glass half full or even empty sometimes!  There is much to be thankful for and gratefulness can change our whole outlook on life.  We talked about how we often see our problems as bigger than God – almost like if the problems are blocking our sight of Him.  We need to focus on the Lord in the foreground and our problems in the background in light of Him and His grace, truth, power, strength, wisdom, ability etc.  We talked about how thankfulness in our hearts will change the way we see life.

Third – Choose to worship the Lord.

Hebrews 13:15, “Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name (NLT).”  The Lord inhabits the praises of His people.  When we give Him our worship, our hearts begin to change from the inside out.  He is worthy, at all times, whether or not we “feel” like giving Him our praise.  Our choice to worship will change us.

Ephesians 5:18-20 sums it up, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life.  Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves and making music to the Lord in your hearts.  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (NLT).”

Lord, so often I ask you to change my circumstances.  Please change my heart.  Please help me to choose to trust You beyond my own understanding, to be thankful from the depths of my being and to give You all of my worship and praise.  May 2009 be filled with awe as I am sensitive to Your Spirit and learn to trust You more from a grateful and worshipful heart.  Love, your daughter.

Questions: What would be the biggest change that you could make in your daily walk that would have a lasting effect for God’s Kingdom? Can you still be thankful even when faced with troubling circumstances? How?

About the Author Donna-Mitchell

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world” (Matthew 13:34-36).

Parables contain truth. They are, in a sense, earthly stories that reveal spiritual truths. In Matthew 13, Jesus uses six parables to illustrate the kingdom of heaven. Although they are quite different from one another, none of the parables contradict each other, but rather compliment each other. Jesus looks at the same kingdom from different angles. To Him, it is a very important subject that He wants us to understand.

Many parables were devoted to talking about this kingdom. As Jesus spoke to the people of His day, they were often left standing on the shore surprised and confused. Even His own disciples were puzzled. They misunderstood the kingdom because they had different, worldly expectations. The Jews were anticipating a Jewish king who would overtake the Romans, but Jesus spoke of doing the will of God on earth. To Him, the kingdom of heaven wasn’t a geographic location but a spiritual realm in which we would share in His eternal life as sons in relationship.

Jesus spoke of an eternal, spiritual kingdom, and not an earthly kingdom that could be overthrown or destroyed. He described it not as the visible church but as the invisible reign of Christ in the hearts of men and women.

Going to church, I had no idea that there was a kingdom being built that I couldn’t see. I saw the people but didn’t know what was going on in their hearts. Eventually, my own heart began to change and some months later, I made the choice to be part of something I couldn’t physically see.

As I studied the parables, three things surfaced out of them:

1. It is His Kingdom – God is the sower and He has the ruling authority. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was born a king, preached about the kingdom of God, died a king, and will be seen once again as King of kings at His second coming.
2. It is continuously growing – Jesus said not to be fooled by the size of the mustard seed that will eventually grow to be one of the largest trees. Similarly, the kingdom of heaven will keep growing throughout the world. This is what world missions is about – working with the Lord for the sake of His kingdom. The growth doesn’t stop until the harvest time when Christ returns.
3. It is about people – the kingdom is not found in buildings or powerful corporations, but in “sons”. They are the work of God, whose business it is to draw them to Himself.

Embracing the Kingdom

Becoming a “daughter” of the kingdom of heaven, and living as one, is a choice in which these things are necessary:

• Humility – In Matthew 18:3,4 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” He is looking for a humble heart; one that will admit a need for Him as a child who needs his father.
• Repentance – John the Baptist came preaching in the desert saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). To repent means to turn from your erroneous ways, change and prepare yourself to follow God.
• Acknowledgement of His Lordship – John 3:35,36 says, “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Once the decision has been made, it begins to grow like a tiny mustard seed into mature faith. The journey requires ongoing humility, repentance and acknowledging Christ’s Lordship in our lives.

Participating in the Kingdom

There are a few passages that give us clues about what members of the Kingdom are like. A son is a participating member of the Kingdom – not just on Sunday mornings! Members of the kingdom:

• Seek the kingdom first (Matthew 6:33)
• Endure hardships (Acts 14:22)
• Preach the truth (Acts 8:12)
• Pray for the kingdom (Matthew 6:10)

They are to be a kingdom of priests who serve and work – fellow worker and servants belonging to Christ and giving Him glory.

Are you in? Are you a daughter of the kingdom? Has it been established and growing within your own heart? Are you involved in building the kingdom? Is it first in your life?

As I looked through the book of Matthew, I found these things mentioned even before we arrive at Jesus’ parables.

• Repent
• Be baptized
• Acknowledge Christ’s Lordship
• Share your faith
• Follow Christ wholeheartedly (single-minded obedience)
• Come to Christ if you are sick
• Have right attitudes in your heart
• Live for God and not yourself
• Make a difference in the world (live as salt and light)
• Give, pray, fast
• Store up treasures in heaven
• Don’t worry or judge
• Be wise
• Count the cost
• Be willing to go and serve

It is always a call to action. The question is: Are you in? If the answer is yes, why not pray this prayer to dedicate your life to following and serving Jesus Christ.

Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by directing my own life. I thank You for forgiving my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. I desire to follow You in all of my ways. Help me to seek first Your kingdom. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. In Christ’s name. Amen.

What giants are you facing? Take this study.

Isaiah 61:1-3 explains Jesus’ mission: bring good news to the poor, comfort the brokenhearted, proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed, and tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’S favor has come.  He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, blessing instead of mourning, and praise instead of despair.  They will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for His own glory.

In light of Jesus’ mission, I reread the faith chapter, Hebrews 11, describing the action taken by those whose allegiance was to the Lord and Him only. They obeyed, believed, chose to share oppression rather than freedom, kept their eyes on the One who is invisible, and “their weakness was turned to strength.”

Following Jesus, no matter what, into a hurting world is overwhelming.  Hebrews 12:12 encourages us: “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.  Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.”  Keeping our eyes on Jesus and doing what He asks will actually make us stronger.

The call is to believe Him, put our faith and trust in Him, give Him our allegiance and take action.   As Paul concludes the book of Hebrews, he writes:

o    Keep loving each other
o    Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers
o    Remember those in prison as if you were there yourself
o    Remember those being mistreated as if you felt their pain in your own bodies

Those words do not reflect feelings, they reflect actions.

And His promise…Hebrews 13:5ff
“I will never fail you
I will never abandon you

So we can say with confidence,
The LORD is my helper
So I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?”

And the benediction…Hebrews 13:20, 21
“Now may the God of peace – Who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with His blood – may He equip you with all you need for doing His will.  May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him.  All glory to Him forever and ever!  Amen”

Lord, thank you for the price you paid on the cross to save my soul.  Thank you for Your heart for and mission to reach the broken, oppressed, forgotten, distraught, hungry, poor, exploited, incarcerated…the marginalized.  Open our eyes, that we might see the world around us from Your perspective.  Strengthen our tired hands and weak knees.  Give us the courage to ask You to reach our world through us.  Give us the courage to take action.  In Jesus’ Name and for His sake, Amen!

Questions: Ask the Lord how, even today, you can be His hands and feet in a hurting world.   If you sense there is an obstacle, something holding you back, what is it?  Ask Him.

About the Author Donna Mitchell

Recently, I asked the Lord to expand my vision of the world as He sees it. Scriptures, books, blogs, and conversations all reflected the same theme – God’s heart for the broken, oppressed, forgotten, distraught, hungry, poor, exploited, incarcerated…the marginalized.  He showed me that an appropriate response is not a feeling, an appropriate response demands action.

Isaiah 61:1-3 explains Jesus’ mission: bring good news to the poor, comfort the brokenhearted, proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed, and tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD’S favor has come.  He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, blessing instead of mourning, and praise instead of despair.  They will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for His own glory.

In light of Jesus’ mission, I reread the faith chapter, Hebrews 11, describing the action taken by those whose allegiance was to the Lord and Him only.  They obeyed, believed, chose to share oppression rather than freedom, kept their eyes on the One who is invisible, and “their weakness was turned to strength.”

Following Jesus, no matter what, into a hurting world is overwhelming.  Hebrews 12:12 encourages us: “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.  Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.”  Keeping our eyes on Jesus and doing what He asks will actually make us stronger.

The call is to believe Him, put our faith and trust in Him, give Him our allegiance and take action.   As Paul concludes the book of Hebrews, he writes:

• Keep loving each other
• Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers
• Remember those in prison as if you were there yourself
• Remember those being mistreated as if you felt their pain in your own bodies

Those words do not reflect feelings, they reflect actions.

And His promise…Hebrews 13:5ff

“I will never fail you

I will never abandon you

So we can say with confidence,

The LORD is my helper

So I will have no fear.

What can mere people do to me?”

And the benediction…Hebrews 13:20, 21

“Now may the God of peace – Who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with His blood – may He equip you with all you need for doing His will.  May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him.  All glory to Him forever and ever!  Amen”

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the price you paid on the cross to save my soul.  Thank You for Your heart for and mission to reach the broken, oppressed, forgotten, distraught, hungry, poor, exploited, incarcerated…the marginalized.  Open our eyes, that we might see the world around us from Your perspective.  Strengthen our tired hands and weak knees.  Give us the courage to ask You to reach our world through us.  Give us the courage to take action.  In Jesus’ Name and for His sake, Amen!

Questions: Ask the Lord how, even today, you can be His hands and feet in a hurting world.   If you sense there is an obstacle, something holding you back, what is it?  Ask Him.

About the Author:  Donna Mitchell

Struggling in your marriage? Talk to a mentor.

Recently, in my quiet time with the Lord, He showed me that I have been putting the “but” in the wrong place.  I have been saying to myself “God has called me to this, but…”

My husband, Allan, has been encouraging me with the words “but, I thought God called you to this?”  He means, stand up, make every effort, trust God, and be confident.  This is what God has called me to.  Allan is right.

Do you see the difference?

Allan is saying “but God” with the focus on the Lord.  No matter what happens, no matter what obstacle, no matter what challenge, you have a faithful Father who has called you and will enable, equip, and provide you with everything you need to do His will.  My focus has been the obstacles, the challenges, the glitches and anything else standing in the way.  I have put my “but” in the wrong place.

2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 reminded me:

“But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.  And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you.  May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.”

Notice the verbs, they are not conditional.  He is faithful.  He will strengthen you.  These are God’s promises for me and for you.  He will guard you from the evil one.  He will enable you to do every thing He asks of you.  He will enable you to obey Him.  He will lead your heart into a full understanding of His love.  He will enable you to tangibly express His love in words and deeds.  He will give you the ability to endure patiently…if you will allow Him.

Father, you are faithful.  Thank you for your strength for every moment of the day ahead.  Thank you for your protection from the evil one.  Thank You for your enabling to do all that You ask of me this day.  Please fill me with Your Spirit and empower me to do your will.  Deepen my understanding of Your love today.  Enable me to express your love to others today in words and in deeds.  Please give me the ability to endure patiently …I am inviting You to permeate my life.  No matter what happens today, BUT GOD!  I love You.

Questions: Where are you putting your “but”?  Do you face your struggles and wonder how God can help or do you face your struggles saying “But, GOD…”? What is the Lord asking you to endure patiently? How can you express His love in words and deeds today?

About the Author Donna Mitchell

Are you overwhelmed by fear? Take this study.

“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you:  I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5b).

In the first chapter of Joshua, the Lord calls Joshua to lead the Israelites across the Jordan and into the Promised Land.  Along with the call, God promises, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you:  I will never leave you nor forsake you.” In the New Living Translation, it says, “I will not fail you or abandon you.”

The Lord goes on to command Joshua to be strong and courageous, you will be the leader, study this Book of instructions, and do not be afraid or discouraged, “For the LORD your GOD is with you wherever you go”.

The call and promise are clear.  However, Joshua has to trust the promises of the Lord – Joshua must lead where he has never been before.  The Lord assures Joshua that there will be a battle, but God promises that Joshua will be victorious and the Israelites will indeed inherit the land He promised.

The book of Joshua accounts for the battle, the distribution of land – at the end of the book, in chapter 24, it says, “The people of Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him – those who had personally experienced all that the LORD had done for Israel.”  As I was reading and meditating on this verse, I wrote in my journal, “when there is no personal experience of trusting God and seeing His glory it is a breeding ground for fear – living vicariously – we lose our faith.”

As we listen to Him and do what He says, trust His instructions, and take risks to show His love, we will see His glory and witness His work in the hearts of others.  In His strength, our confidence will grow as we experience for ourselves what it means to walk in His ways, His power, His love…obediently following His Spirit.

As we take steps of faith, we realize for ourselves that God is with us, and this assurance builds our confidence! Recently, one of our volunteers testified of God’s unswerving faithfulness when we trust the Lord and step out in faith.

I have learned that I didn’t really have a fear problem.   I had a faith problem. I had lost confidence that my heavenly Father would take care of me.  Since my faith has increased in going (reaching out in prison), it has been my experience that my fear has decreased. Don’t get me wrong, I have not conquered the spirit of fear, but I am in the process of learning to put my fear in the hands of the One who knows everything, and to move forward in spite of it.

Confidently sharing our faith comes with experience.  Confidence does not develop vicariously but grows during the adventure of faith and risk.  Trust grows when we see His glory for ourselves and discover that indeed the LORD is with us and He will never abandon nor fail us.

What is your Jordan?  What is the Lord asking of you in these days?
Remember, “Be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the LORD your GOD is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Father, You have promised that you are with me wherever I go.  Thank you for the assurance of Your promises and constant reminder to not be afraid.  Please build my faith and trust and help me to take steps today and in the days ahead to grow in confidence beyond the fear that wants to hold me back.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Questions: What is the Lord asking you to do these days? How does our faith increase?

TAKE THE NEXT STEP:  How to share your faith

About the Author Donna Mitchell

Perseverance is not my favorite word.  It means to continue a course of action in spite of difficulties.  There are other ways to say it…hang in there, keep going, remain, stand firm, stick at it, don’t give up.  I believe perseverance is what it is going to take for every believer to finish well.  It is going to take perseverance to believe God even when we don’t see evidence of what He is doing or we witness what appears to be contrary evidence.

When challenges arise, it will take perseverance to believe God’s heart is good and His ways are perfect. Perseverance will help you love sacrificially and obey His leading.  It’s what you’ll need to pray when you don’t want to, praise when you don’t feel like it, stay when you feel like leaving, and embrace when you feel like giving up.

Remember, Jesus continually demonstrated perseverance.

The book of 2 Thessalonians is an encouragement in perseverance.  I would encourage you to read it with that theme in mind.  In the third chapter, Paul’s request for prayer is our prayer for each other…

“Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us.  Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.  Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer.  But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.  And we are cc in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you.  May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:1-5, NLT).

We have to let Him lead our hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.  Jesus gave His life away to reach others – in life and in death.  He is maturing us, changing our hearts, building our faith, and deepening our love for Him and for others.  He helps us put love into action, and teaches us to stand firm and endure patiently.  He is not asking us to do something He didn’t willingly do Himself.  Every believer, all through the centuries, has been called to do likewise.

No matter how you consider perseverance – it is not easy.  However, it is easier when you resolve the issue in your mind.  To persevere is a choice, an attitude of the will.  It is driving a stake into the ground and saying, ‘thus far, the Lord has led me’ and I will choose to follow Him.  (See 1 Samuel 7:12-14)

Father, I want to follow where You lead, in Your time, take Your way, at whatever cost.  I will endure as You give me strength.  I will choose to praise and to pray.  I will seek a full understanding and seek to express the love of God with patient endurance, through You who give me strength!  Thank you that you have promised to be faithful, to strengthen me and to guard me from the evil one.  In Jesus’ powerful and precious Name, Amen!

Questions: What would help you persevere in your current situation?  What new attitudes, “stakes in the ground” would help you not give up or give in?

About the Author Donna Mitchell

“We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large…We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” (Numbers 13:27-31)

You wouldn’t necessarily think so, but Numbers 13 and 14 provide an interesting and insightful read.  The Lord gave Moses the instructions, and in turn, Moses instructed the men.  It was time to explore the land.  What was the land like? Were the inhabitants strong or weak? Were they few or many? What kind of land would it be to live in?

Upon their return, after forty days of exploration, they all agreed on the fertility of the land.  A single cluster of grapes was so large it had to be carried on a pole! It was definitely fruitful; however, they discovered the people were powerful and “dangerous.”  The towns were large and fortified, intimidating.  As the explorers described the people, the listening crowd of God’s people became more frantic.  Caleb tried to calm their fears and remind them of God’s sovereignty, but they insisted that the land’s “giants” were stronger.  Compared to the giants, they felt like grasshoppers.

All night, the people cried, and said that they preferred slavery in Egypt to attempting to take the Promised Land.  Joshua and Caleb reminded the people that God was with them and they should not be afraid of these people!

How does the Israelites’ behaviour parallel the behaviour of today’s church community?  We want to stay safe within our own community.  The people outside the church look like giants to us they seem “dangerous.”  In reality, our neighbors and our colleagues and the people in the cities are like sheep without a shepherd.  They need a Savior and the Lord is calling us to reach out to them and to not be afraid.  Reaching out to them fulfills God’s purpose and design for every believer.  It will actually be life-giving, faith-building and brings a sense of fulfillment like nothing else!

Caleb and Joshua were the only adults allowed to enter the Promised Land along with the children.  The Lord said, “You said your children would be carried off as plunder.  Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised.”  As punishment, the parents spent forty years wandering in the wilderness.

Joshua and Caleb understood and proclaimed that the Lord had the power to give them the Promised Land.  Today, the world needs forgiveness, hope, and power. We perceive those outside the church as dangerous, but God sees them as broken and hurting. God is with us as we reach out to others in His name!  May the Lord give us eyes to see others as He sees them and to share His love – even today!

Father, we still see others as “giants” in our eyes or dangerous when we think about them in the context of reaching out and sharing Your love and message.  Lord, would You give us ears to hear, eyes of compassion, a courageous heart to risk, a mouth that speaks gently with respect, the sensitivity to come alongside, and may people be drawn to You through us! Amen

Questions: Think about the people in your world. Who do you see as needing Jesus? How do you perceive them?

Do you struggle with the deep darkness of depression and find yourself without hope?  Talk to us.

This morning, there were mountains all around me– but they weren’t physical.  I was still at home in suburbia.  The mountains in my life include the following: need for direction, funds for ministry, the need to overcome obstacles, fear and anxiety that wanted to take over and bring discouragement.  There were failures, insecurities, and shattered hopes but unexpectedly, a worship chorus kept running through my mind.  Under my breath, I began to sing it.  The song is called “Mighty to Save” Maybe you know it? Here is a great version on YouTube:

The words go like this:

Savior,
He can move the mountains,
My God is mighty to save,
He is mighty to save
Forever,
Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

What are the mountains in your life?

No matter what, He is the one able to move the mountains in our life.  He is the one who is mighty to save.  He is the author of our salvation and the salvation of a hurting world.  He is alive.  He rose from the dead.  He conquered the grave.  He is able.  He does know.  He can make a way when there seems to be no way.

Regrettably, we can look to the wrong things to move our mountains.  We can try harder.  We can just avoid our mountains.  We can frantically look for help in every direction except to Him who sits on the throne of heaven.

Psalm 121 says..
“I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!  He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.  Indeed, He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.  The LORD himself watches over you!  The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.  The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.  The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.  The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.”  (NLT)

Remember…when you go to the LORD for help, He is the one who created heaven and earth.  He never sleeps.  He is watching over your life and has not missed a sigle detail.  He stands beside you, ready to help and protect your life.  Pray and share your heart with Him, share every mountainous burden and ask for His help, protection, and way through or over or around.

Father, thank you that you are my Father as well as the creator of heaven and earth.  You never sleep and You are constantly watching over my life.  Lord there seems to be many mountains in my life.  I need your help…(share your heart). Thank you that You will make a way, please show me the way I am to take.  In Jesus’ strong and Mighty Name.  Amen!

Questions: What are the mountains in your life?  Ask the Lord to help with each one…

About the Author Donna Mitchell

“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?