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| (two years ago) |
I just want to take some time this peaceful evening to give you a small glimpse of what goes on in my wonderful junior girls small group.Tonight we went around the circle and each summed up in one sentence why we've chosen to follow Jesus. The beautiful thing is that we each had different answers, yet they all rang with a truth no one can fathom.
Colleen said, simply, "Because I love Him." When prompted to explain why she loves Him, she quickly replied, "Because He loves me."
I sighed, thinking through my response with a heart of gratitude. "I follow Him because He is true, and He has proven Himself to be true in my life. His Word is true, and His Word says that nothing compares to the surpassing greatness of knowing Him, and I really believe that."
Abbi eloquently explained that following Christ is the least she can give to the Lord after all He did, is doing, and will do for her. It is her sacrifice - her reasonable service - and her humanity screams out the debt she owes to Him.
Paige had two responses, and she discussed both with wise insight. "He's shown me that I desperately need Him - I can literally do nothing without Him. I can't even be affected by the Word the way that I am without the power of His Holy Spirit," was her first reason. She then continued, "We were made specifically to bring glory and honor to God. That's where I fit - it's just what I'm meant to do."
Lauren thoughtfully spoke, "I just feel like, if I wasn't following Him, I would have no purpose. What's the point? I can totally understand why so many unsaved people feel that way, because it's true for them. I would just be going through life every day with no meaning, waiting to die." She added that she feels would do whatever she wanted without reservation if it were not for the conviction from the Spirit of God living inside of her.
Ellie bounced off of Lauren's thoughts, conversationally continuing with her own spin. "I can't imagine how people who don't know the Lord go through difficult times; where do they find their hope?", she wondered. "Even when I don't feel Him or when I drift far from Him I know I'm still sealed by His promise, and that is such a comfort."
Brynna, who had to pass on her first turn to think about her answer to such a loaded question, said something like, "My whole world would just be so different if I didn't know God. Like, I could just go out there and get into you know, bad stuff, whatever. I'd much rather follow Jesus."
We all have beautifully unique reasons for choosing to pick up our crosses and go where our Lord goes, but they are all based somehow on His radiant goodness. He has been so very good to us, and will continue to do so for eternity. He simply asks us to be His disciples.
So, what about you? Why do you follow Jesus?
I follow Him because He loves me no matter who I am or where I am. I, too, follow Him (like Lauren said) because with out Him what would be MY purpose in waking up? Breathing etc....
ReplyDeleteI love you Liz! :)
Why do I follow Jesus? Okay, this is a good question that deserves more thought than a simple, pat answer.
ReplyDeleteThe question presupposes that I am, in fact, following Jesus - and all that entails....Jesus Himself said that "the one who loves [Him] will keep [His] commandments" (John 14:21). Since none of us do that perfectly, and I least of all, following Jesus demands and understanding of repentance and grace that does not come naturally to my prideful, self-sufficient nature.
And yet, I cannot live without Him, and would not want to.
So, what are my reasons for following Him?
1.) He is God. (Romans 9:5). The deity of Jesus Christ, an indisputable biblical truth, means that He is the highest authority in the universe - He is the absolute sovereign Ruler. His Kingdom is not a democracy.
2.) Axiomatically, I am His slave. (1 Cor. 4:1). I do not "make" Jesus Lord; He already IS Lord. My obligation is to submit to His loving, gracious, and absolute authority.
3.) His unbelievable kindness is what led me to repentance (Romans 2:4). Fear of God is indeed the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), but craven fear is not what turned my heart to Him.
4.) He is patient with me (Romans 2:4). Why would One so perfect and impeccably holy condescend to be patient with one as stubborn and corrupt as I? How can I not respond to Him?
5.) He predestined me in love to be His adopted child (Ephesians 1:5). I cannot fathom why God would choose me as His own, but I know that it had nothing to do with anything He saw in me (Eph. 2:8-9).
6.) He is gentle and humble in heart (Matthew 11:29). The King of the Universe is gentle and humble...and He chose me to belong to Him. Unbelievable.
7.) He loved me first (1 John 4:19). I will never understand why Jesus would love me, but I know this is true. Not responding to Him is inconceivable.
8.) He really did die for me personally (Galatians 2:20). This fact is unthinkable to the unregenerate mind, and when I stop to consider what the perfect and loving Son of God went through on my behalf, the unrepented sin I am carrying around causes me deep shame. Following Him demands that I see my sin for what it is, and what it actually cost Him.
9.) I know that Jesus loves me, even when I fail to follow Him, because He even loves those who turn away (Mark 10:21) and He restores our relationship each and every time I repent He forgives me (Luke 17:4; Jesus never commands us to do something He does not do Himself).
10.) Jesus loved children (Matt. 19:14), and they loved Him. Kids are not naturally drawn to someone unpleasant to be around.
11.) He is compassionate, even on the most disgraceful and shameful situations (John 8:11; Luke 8:40 ff.)
12.) He feels affection toward us (Philippians 1:3-4), which He enables us to have for one another. He is not cold nor indifferent.
13.) He wants us to be with Him in His Kingdom, eternally happy beyond what we could ask or imagine (John 14:3).
14.) He enables me to change, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in order to live a life truly pleasing to Him (Ephesians 4:21-25).