Every Sunday millions of people flock to buildings or people’s homes to worship Jesus Christ. Many of us believe the primary purpose of our faith in Christ is to attend those meetings and become better people in this life.
1. We know we’re supposed to become more Christ-like.
2. We know we’re supposed to read the bible and pray more and sin less.
3. We know we’re supposed to “not forsake the assembly with other believers.”
4. We know we’re supposed to receive instruction and “be taught” the Word of God.
5. We know we’re supposed to submit to spiritual authority.
6. We know we’re supposed to be “in the world but not ‘of’ the world.”
But what if our attitude about our faith is inside-out?
If we want to be like Jesus, let’s examine what he did. He spent very little time in the same place. He was among people who didn’t understand him or follow him most of the time. When he talked to a religious person, it was seldom a friendly conversation. His interactions in the temple weren’t particularly friendly either. Jesus was out and about with people, tax-collectors and sinners. He was called a friend of sinners. But he repeatedly prayed and then changed his life to adapt to the message God gave him in the prayer.
Up until now, has the chief goal of your life with Christ been to become good people, stay out of trouble, and have a prosperous, uneventful life? What about for our kids, do we hope to raise safe and healthy kids and support the Church and its missionaries? Would we like to be wealthy, comfortable and also go to heaven when we die? Has something like that been the primary goal of your faith? And if we “live right,” does that mean God will answer our prayers?
God is working right now to bring people to himself. We begin the process by believing in Jesus (Hebrews 11:6). I want to help people move one notch closer to Jesus. But I must start with myself. Often that means I need to be a good citizen and a productive member of society. I didn’t come to Jesus in a vacuum. He has a plan for me to move toward him, help others move toward him, and make him known in my current, everyday life.
Jesus prayed often (Luke 5:16). He came to do God’s will (John 4:34). We can be like Jesus by praying consistently and then doing what God says.
God, what would you have me do today?
What comes to mind? What would happen if you just did the thing that came to mind rather than talking yourself out of it? Prayer isn’t placing orders with God, but rather listening for God’s direction and then taking it!
May we each daily live the answer.
Do you want to be more Christ-like? Examine what you pray daily and how you act when you’re done. And feel free to comment below and also share this post with your friends. Let’s explore together how we can spend more of our time doing what Christ would have us do on the job and in everyday life.
Photo by Nicole Honeywill on Unsplash
