Following Jesus
OPENING PRAYER:
Dear Lord, please help me to accept and follow you wholeheartedly. Help me to have your desires be my desires. Please help me to resist the temptations of the world every time they don’t align with your best for me.
‘Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”’ Luke 9:23 (NIV)
REFLECT:
In 2013 Oxford Dictionaries named “selfie” its word of the year. The term means to take a picture of oneself, sometimes including others, generally for posting on social media. Taking a picture of yourself and then sharing it with others can imply a certain degree of self-centeredness. Even though the term and practice are relatively new owing to the advancement in technology that makes sharing personal photos possible and easy, the pull we feel to focus on ourselves and what we desire is not new. Our desire to do what we want, when we want, can be traced all the way back to Adam and Eve and their choice to disobey God.
Doing what we want to do, when we want to do it, is as natural to most people as breathing. It’s also counter to following Jesus. Following Jesus requires sacrifice and self-control. The world will tell you to live for the moment and do what feels right. Following the advice of the world can bring short-term happiness, but anything done out of alignment with God will be temporary at best.
We live in a broken world. There is no way in this life that we can be totally fulfilled and perfectly content. Chasing the things of this world can only satisfy fleetingly. Committing to God by putting Him first in all our choices, big or small, will get us closest to our yearning desire to be satisfied and content. Enjoy His creation here on earth, but as you do, be sure to include God. Make sure each “selfie” you take moving forward includes Him.
APPLY:
Do you struggle to put Jesus first? Does it feel like you have to sacrifice too many things you want to do? If so, try to remember what Jesus sacrificed to give each of us an opportunity to be with Him forever and ever. Though he was guilty of nothing, he was tortured and killed to pay for our sins. He sacrificed everything to give us the opportunity to be with God for eternity. Next time you’re faced with a choice to follow Jesus or follow worldly desires consider what Jesus sacrificed for you to have eternal life with Him.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Thank you Jesus for giving me the opportunity to follow you and have eternal life. Living in this broken world is difficult, but you are the perfect leader for me to follow to avoid the lies and live fully in truth.