For the past few weeks God has been speaking to me on this subject. A few months ago, I read the book In His Steps by Charles Sheldon. I think it was no coincidence that it was during reading this book that I met my friend Birgit and had a strong pull to find her. I thank God every day that I had the opportunity to meet her. I may not have had a huge impact on her life, but God surely used her to have a great impact on my life.
God has been calling me to follow Him. This isn't something new; it's just as time goes by the desire and feeling gets stronger. Every day I want to draw closer to Him, and every day I want to be making progress in finding the answer to that simple question. What would Jesus do?
What would He do if He lived today, in my house, and walked around in my shoes? What would He do if He was the parent to my children? Or if He was the spouse to my spouse? What would He do if He was the friend to my friends? Or the neighbor who lived next door? What would He do if He drove my car? Where would He go? What would He say to the people He encountered? What would He spend His free time doing in my house? What would He not spend His free time doing?
I cannot stop asking these questions.
A couple weeks ago I started some serious fall cleaning around my house. I neglected some things in the spring, and figured now was the time to get it done. I've been working on washing all my windows, curtains, and blinds which is no small task. I've been cleaning out closets, and going through our storage in the basement. I've been scrubbing my walls and my floors, and cleaning under the couches.
I've found some interesting things in all the cleaning. I've discovered things I had forgotten we owned, and things I wished we didn't. I've been removing things item by item, trash day by trash day. My house is getting cleaned. I'm making room for better, more important, worthy things.
“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Matthew 6:19-24
Just like my house has been getting a deep cleaning, I've been working on a deep spiritual cleaning. God is renewing my mind and reminding me of what is important. There are so many times I get hung up on the things that don't really matter. I've been trying to look at every situation to see what specifically needs to be done, and I've been trying to follow and ask God what He wants for me to do in that situation.
Just this week, I read a book entitled Rooms by James L. Rubart. I highly recommend it. It was very inspiring and humbling at the same time. One of the things that stood out to me was the struggle the main character went through. He had a history with Christianity, and then turned his back on it. He became too caught up in acquiring wealth and prestige that he eventually forgot about God. He never stopped believing in God; he no longer saw the importance or need for Him. I'm certain this wasn't something that happened overnight; it was done by his daily choices and thoughts.
This book didn't deal in the normal physical side of things; it was full of supernatural instances. Micah, the main character, would continue to spend time in two different worlds. They both were physical places; however one was representing his spiritual choices. As he would make decisions throughout the book, each world would be affected. If he made a choice that had to do with God, it would affect his physical world where he had acquired great wealth and prestige. Things and people would disappear. And then at the same time, if he would make a decision in his physical world, it would change things in his spiritual home.
It was a very profound story, and gave great meaning to the verses in the Bible that talk about giving up your life for God.
It seems that no matter where I go or what I do, I keep hearing the same things. We've got to make a choice. You're either going to choose God, or you will choose the world. You can't choose both.
I want to make the choice every day to pick God. I also want to make the choice in every circumstance to choose God's way.
Tonight I'm going to hang out with a few of my close friends, and we're going to discuss further walking in Jesus' footsteps. We all read the book over the past couple of months, and we're going to decide tonight whether or not we want to take the challenge. We'll hold each other accountable and have opportunity to share how we were able to impact others for Christ.
I've included our challenge here, if you'd like to follow with us, and commit to asking that simple question, "What Would Jesus Do?" It may only be a few words to ask, but your response to the answer will be a big responsibility. Will you join with us as we try to follow in Jesus footsteps?
Jesus, I, _____________________, do solemnly state that I want to follow in Your footsteps. From this day forward I will ask of myself on a continuing basis: "What would Jesus do?" I pledge to open my heart to hear what You have for me in all areas of my life and to do it, no matter what the cost. In 1 Peter 2:21 it states, "This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came His way so you would know it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step." I trust you, Lord, for courage to be obedient even if it costs me suffering. I trust You to assure my heart that what You did for me makes any suffering I endure for Your sake worth it. I choose to be a good and faithful servant. I recognize that I cannot accomplish this without Your mighty power at work in me so I humbly and sincerely ask You to work through me.
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