My husband is a dreamer, a visionary and he is full of ideas. He is a planner and he always has a goal in mind that he is working towards achieving. Last year, his goal of getting our family out of debt became a reality when he moved us out of state. He's making new goals and new plans and working towards them. I tease him often, that I never know what to expect with him. I never know what is going to be next, but the truth is: I'll follow him anywhere. Wherever he goes, I will follow.
Last week, in Matthew 19, we read about a young rich man who came to Jesus wanting to know the secret of receiving eternal life. His question was this: "What good deed must I do to have eternal life?" (v.16) Jesus quickly answers the man, "There is only One who is good." (v. 17) And then, knowing the man's heart, Jesus begins to share with the young man a few of the ten commandments. "Which ones?" the man asked. And Jesus replied; "'You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.'" ~ Matthew 19:18-19 Jesus was not giving rules to this young man that he must follow to earn salvation, He was speaking straight to the man's heart. The commandments the Lord shared, were the commandments that dealt with human relationships. The young man had obeyed all of those rules, yet he knew there must be more. "I've obeyed all these commandments," the young man replied. "What else must I do?" ~ Matthew 19:20 Ah, just what Jesus was waiting for: the moment to be real with this young man. Let's look closely at the next two verses. Jesus answers the young man's question, but notice the man's reaction. Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. ~ Matthew 19:21-22 This young rich man could not obey the call to follow Jesus. It meant giving up too much. His worldly possessions had become more important to him then his own eternity. In fact, it grieved him to think about what he would need to give up. I wonder, how many of us are like that? How many of us grieve what we have to give up in order to obey God's calling on us? Will our first thoughts be of sorrow at what we have to leave behind to follow God's call? If God calls you to pay a bill for a family in need, will your first thought be about what you won't be able to do with that money? If God calls you to sit and visit with someone who just needs a friend, will your first thought be that you just don't have time for this right now? If God calls your family to take a job that means you take a decrease in income, will your first thought be that you can't live without that extra money? If God calls you to come home full time, will your first thought be what you will be missing out on? If God calls your family to move out of state or even out of the country to go serve Him elsewhere, will your first thought be to grieve about all you will have to leave behind? There are so many other questions we could ask here and many of these questions are ones I have personally lived out. God's call on our lives looks different for every person and family. He has unique purposes for each one of us to fulfill His perfect will. The question is: How will we respond, when He calls us to that purpose? I began this post by saying I would follow my husband anywhere. And I will. But then I had to think.... Will I follow Jesus anywhere He wants to take me? I want nothing less than what God wants for me. I want to follow Him. I want Him to lead me, guide me, and direct me to fulfill His purposes for my life. But if I'm honest, I don't always do that without hesitation, complaining or even pitying myself. I don't want to be like that anymore. I want to trust Him completely and I don't want to question what He has in store for me. My prayer is that I will gladly and obediently step out in faith as God calls me to follow Him. Is that your prayer, too? I want to end this post with Jesus' answer to His disciples. He told them exactly what they would receive for completely trusting Him and obediently following Him. I know that there is promise in this for us too. It is truly beautiful! Read these last few verses and focus on what Jesus is offering us if we just "come, and follow Him." You will be blessed! "Jesus replied, 'I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon His glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters, or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then." ~ Matthew 19:28-30 Soak up God's Word this week! He has so much to tell you! Joyfully His, Andrea
1 Comment
Leslie
3/22/2016 08:14:07 pm
As I reflect, trying to catch up, I am still in awe sometimes of the sacrifice God commands. We are do fortunate in this country to have so many resources but we seem to use them for our own gratification rather than pursuing God even further. We can get an education, climb up the career ladder, and Google anything. This has make us self sufficient in the worst we. We try to rely on our own accomplishments rather than God for our needs. It is so hard sometimes to think of giving up everything especially my children. It is so hard to answer and same that I could easily say yes to whatever God asks of me. Each day I am challenged to be more on fire and more obedient to God's call.
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For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. " AuthorHi! I'm Andrea, wife to my handsome hubby, homeschooling mama to my 7 amazing blessings, and daughter of the King of kings. I am so glad you have stopped by my little piece of the web. My prayer is that the Lord will use this blog to encourage you in your personal, daily walk with Christ. Archives
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