Following the Way of Jesus
Discipleship is at the center of the Christian life. To be a disciple means to be a learner. It means following after Jesus, and patterning our life after His.
Jesus tells us that the starting point of following Him is to deny ourselves. Denying ourselves means we choose to put Jessus’ desires above our own. This means that we must come to recognize that we do not have all the answers, or know the right way to go through life.
Discipleship is not something we do once or twice. It is a lifestyle that must be lived out each and every day. We will spend our entire lives becoming more like Jesus.
The way of life Jesus modeled was to suffer on the cross. When we deny ourselves, we choose to humbly follow Jesus. And as we become more like Jesus, we will also need to take up our cross. We will also suffer for doing good, and for denying things that seem enticing in the moment, but ultimately keep us from God. But when we bear our suffering, we represent Christ to those around us.
The paradox of following Jesus is that when we give up our life for His sake, we receive eternal life in return. When we hold onto our life and keep it from Jesus, we don’t get to experience the abundant life that He promises.
Take some time today to consider how you’re living a life of discipleship. Take inventory on the ways you are denying yourself and living for Christ, or living selfishly for your own pleasure and gain. Commit to following Jesus no matter how hard the path gets. And pray for strength and endurance as you follow Him.
Wisdom from God
If you’ve ever gone on a trip somewhere you’ve never been before, you know how important a map is. Maps help us navigate unfamiliar terrain and the unknown areas ahead. Similarly, God’s Word helps us navigate the unknown seasons of life.
God’s Word reveals God’s wisdom, which is a trustworthy guide. And Proverbs is a book of wisdom found in God's Word—with knowledge that can help us live according to God’s will.
The book of Proverbs begins by acknowledging that everything begins with God. Because God is the creator of life, He knows how life works best and what direction our lives should go. Our role, according to Proverbs, is to seek Him and to trust Him. Trusting God means believing that He knows what's best for us, and proving it by surrendering our lives and decisions to Him.
The more we trust in God and submit our lives to Him, the more we'll live according to His will. Proverbs 3:6 says that when we submit to God’s wisdom in all our ways, He will direct ...