The past two Sundays we have been examining the question, “What do you want to do, really?” Then, “Why do you want to do it?” Now we are asking ourselves, “How will you do it?”
With the first question, we examined our responsibilities. One being to love God and the other to love each other. Once we understand this we know we want to share our faith with someone else. The response to the ‘why’ question is because we are God’s children, we are blessed and He loved us first.
Today it is time to make a plan, to figure out how to do these things that we, as Christians, really want to do. The answer is easy, the doing – not so much. We are called to live a life worth imitating. Since childhood, we have been challenged to lead by a good example.
Luke 14:25-27 (MSG)
One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one's own self! —can't be my disciple. Anyone who won't shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can't be my disciple.
One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one's own self! —can't be my disciple. Anyone who won't shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can't be my disciple.
Jesus is making the point that we must first love Him, live our life for His glory and never our own. When we worship a parent, spouse or child, we relinquish Jesus to second place and He can never be second in our hearts. A Disciple of Jesus loves Him first and foremost. All other love flows from this perfect love.
When we are lost, Jesus seeks us out leaving all others behind. That is the same type of love – boundless and undeserved love.
