Follow Jesus’ Example of a Faithful Life

 

As Christians, we are called to live a faithful life.

What does that entail, and how can we ensure that we are living in accordance with God's will?

The answer lies in following the example of Jesus. In John 6:38 (CSB), Jesus said:

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me."

Thus, living a faithful life involves doing God's will, just as Jesus did.

The foundation of a faithful life is following Jesus' teachings such as loving our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31), forgiving those who wrong us (Matthew 6:14-15), and serving others (Mark 10:45).

However, staying on the path of righteousness can be challenging. We may encounter trials and temptations that make it difficult to remain faithful to Jesus’ way of life.

I think we can find encouragement in knowing that even Jesus faced challenges during his time on earth. In Matthew 26:39 (CSB), Jesus prayed :

“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

In this moment, Jesus was faced with an incredibly difficult task, the task of dying on the cross and taking on our sin. In that moment Jesus chose to submit to God's will above his own desires.

This example shows us that we too must choose to submit to God’s will, even in the face of hardship.

When we face trials and temptations, we can turn to God for strength and guidance, just as Jesus did. Through a deepening faith in God that comes from the practice of spiritual disciplines, we can find the strength to stay on the path of righteousness and honor God in all that we do.

This requires that we know what God’s will is.

We are able to discern God's will for our lives, by turning to the Bible, which contains God's truth for how we should live. Not only should we turn to the Bible, but we also need to pray and ask God for guidance. James 1:5 (CSB) states:

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God — who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly — and it will be given to him.

Wisdom, the knowledge of living well in God’s world, is a gift from God. This is why wisdom is the product of both our faithful study of the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds.

Living a faithful life requires daily devotion and commitment. It means surrendering our own desires and ambitions to follow Jesus. We do this because of the conviction that following Jesus is the absolute best way to live.

Thinking Right and Worship

 

Worship is an essential part of the Christian life. It is the act of recognizing and praising God for who He is and what He has done. Worship is not just singing songs or attending church services; it is a way of life that centers on the recognition of God's greatness and our utter dependence on Him.

N. T. Wright, in his book Simply Christian wrote,

"Worship is at the very center of all Christian living. One of the main reasons that theology (trying to think straight about who God is) matters is that we are called to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. It matters that we learn more about who God is so that we can praise him more appropriately." (pp. 148-49)

In this quote Wright highlights the importance of theology in worship. He points out that the more we understand who God is, the more we can love and praise Him.

This idea is supported by Jesus' teach ing on the most important commandment found in Mark 12:30 (CSB):

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

In other words, to mature in our worship of God, we must engage our entire being, including our intellect. Our love for God is not just an emotional response; it is grounded in a knowledge of who God is and what He has done for us.

Theology, the study of God and His character, helps us understand God's nature, His attributes, and His actions.

As we learn more about God, our worship becomes more meaningful and authentic. To properly worship God we need to grow in our understanding of who God is. This allows us to praise Him for His holiness, His love, His mercy, His justice, and His faithfulness. Theology informs our understanding of God so we can sing songs that reflect those truths and offer prayers that are in line with His character.

Good theology also helps us avoid false worship. It helps us discern between true and false teachings and helps us avoid worshipping idols. It reminds us that our worship is not just about what we want or feel but is primarily about honoring God.

Worship is not a passive activity but a vital aspect of the Christian life. To worship God fully, we must engage our heart, soul, mind, and strength.


Theology is not an activity reserved for academics, but it is a vital part of a Christian’s worship of God. Theology helps us understand who God is and what He has done, which empowers us to praise Him more fully and avoid worshipping a false god created in our own image.

As we continue to grow in our knowledge of God, our worship will become more authentic, meaningful, and life-giving. We shouldn’t neglect theology, but instead we need to let it inform our worship of God.

Sunday Prayer: Joy In Our Hearts

 

Father in Heaven,

On this day, we lift our hearts to you in gratitude and joy. We thank you for the beauty of your creation that surrounds us, For the sun that warms our skin, and the breeze that refreshes our spirits.

We thank you for the blessings you have bestowed upon us, For the love of family and friends, and the joy they bring into our lives.

We ask that you fill us with your joy, A joy that is not dependent on circumstances or possessions, But a joy that comes from knowing Jesus and trusting in his sacrificial love.

May this joy overflow from our hearts and spill out into the world around us, May it be a light that shines in the darkness, a hope that brings comfort to those in need.

May we find joy in the simple things of life, In the laughter of children, the beauty of a sunset, and the taste of good food.

May we find joy in the challenges we face, Knowing that they will develop our character and help us become more like Jesus.

May we find joy in the moments of stillness, When we can rest in your presence and know that you are with us always.

Bless us, Heavenly Father and Creator of life, with your joy and your peace, And may we live each day with hearts full of gratitude and joy.

In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Finding Freedom in Jesus

 Christ has come to set us free! 

Galatians 5:1 (CSB)

For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Freedom is what we all desire, and it is, at least for Americans, a right for all people. We want to see people live in freedom rather than in oppression. 

God, too, desires that we be free! God’s desire for our freedom is seen in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

The news that Jesus brings freedom to our lives is Good News.

We desire freedom, and God desires that we be free. So what is the problem?

The problem is our definition of freedom and God’s definition of freedom aren’t the same. 

Too often, we see freedom as the ability to decide how we want to live. 

To be free from the expectations of authorities, families, and other social restraints. 

To have the financial freedom to go and do what we want to do. 

For us freedom is defined by having complete control of our lives.

According to the Bible, God’s definition is different. In fact, the writers of the New Testament, who experienced the freedom Jesus gives, described themselves in an interesting way. 

In Romans, the Apostle Paul writes, "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God…" (Romans 1:1, CSB).

James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." (James 1:1, CSB). 

And the Apostle Peter wrote, "Simeon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:1; CSB).

In each of these cases, we would understand the type of servant Paul, James, and Peter called  themselves to be a slave.

It is obvious that these men did not equate autonomous control of their lives to the freedom found in Jesus. They believed they were free, but that freedom led them to surrender to the authority of  King Jesus. 

In our thinking, being under the authority of someone else is not freedom. But these men, who said they were slaves of King Jesus, lived with a greater freedom than what we can understand.

Now I have this question to ask you: Is your life better or more complicated since you have been in control of making the choices on how to live? 

In this country and in this period of time, we have had great freedom to choose the direction of our lives. 

We have the freedom to choose our careers, the freedom to choose our spouses, the freedom to choose friends and other relationships, the freedom to do what we want with the money we make, and the freedom to believe what seems true to us.

Even with all this freedom, many of us feel trapped and enslaved. 

We feel trapped in a job that we hate. We feel trapped in a marriage that we no longer want. We feel enslaved by the expectations and whims of our friends. We feel enslaved to the massive amount of debt that we have accumulated. We feel trapped and enslaved by the empty promises of humanistic philosophies. 

When we are free to decide how we want to live, we often end up being trapped and enslaved by the choices we made.

Thankfully Jesus brings freedom to us trapped in prisons made up of our own decisions. He offers a life free from the curse and condemnation of the Law. He offers a life free from the addictions of sin. He offers a life free to live in the spontaneity of love for God and people. 

Jesus’s freedom allows us to be free to use our money to help people in need, to be free to use our blessings to be a blessing to our neighbors, to be free to hope in the midst of hopelessness, and to be free to give our lives away to God and His Kingdom.

Are you living a free life  or are you enslaved to your addictions? 

Are you living free life or are you enslaved to the expectations of other people? 

The only way to truly experience freedom is to give your life to Jesus. He guides us out of the chains of bad choices and the enslavement to addictions and into his Kingdom of freedom.

The path towards freedom that Jesus offers is the path of surrendering your life to him. Freedom is found in stepping off the throne of your life and making Jesus King in your place.