May the mumbling commence!
What do we do when we are about to make a significant decision in our lives? If Jesus is the pattern for our lives, we stop and take time to pray. Jesus took time to pray before he decided who he was going to invest his time with. Jesus took time to pray about who was going to be around him almost constantly. Read from Luke chapter six:
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. (Verses 12-16)
Important decisions mean we need to consult God in prayer. Prayer helps us to work out our sense of what is needed. Prayer helps us to connect with God. Prayer helps us to think about others. Prayer precludes us from the myopic me, me, me world. Each of the men that Jesus chose as apostles had a difficult decision to make. I wonder how much the disciples prayed.
Accepting the call of God through Jesus would mean a dramatically transformed life. Jesus illustrated this new way of life in many ways. One way was through the Beatitudes, which are found in Matthew chapter five:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Verses 3-12)
Do we really feel blessed when we are poor or when we mourn? When we have a position of power and refuse to exploit it or protect it (meekness), do we feel blessed? To be meek means, in part, hungering and thirsting for righteousness. It means granting mercy and seeking peace. It means being pure of heart.
These things are hard to do! They are difficult to do because people in this world will laugh at us, insult us, persecute us, and slander us. It is hard to be different even when others support us and stand with us. It is hard to be different when luxuries of the here and now are let go for the benefit of the future. It is even harder when we meet opposition at every turn. But it is well worth it.
For those who make this commitment and carry it out, they have promises from God. We can claim these promises, too. If we choose to make and carry out that commitment, we will inherit the promises. Ours is the kingdom of heaven. We will be comforted and filled to the brim. (The best is yet to come.) We will receive mercy and the earth. We will see God and be known as His children.
Great is our reward in heaven! Because we make an effort to illustrate the godly kingdom on earth, we are greatly rewarded in the future and in the present. When we make the commitment to follow Christ, we get a blessed foretaste of what the kingdom of heaven will be like.
I wonder if the disciples prayed before accepting the invitation of God through Christ Jesus. The bar is set high – our righteousness must surpass the righteousness of the pillars of the church (Matthew 5:20)!
I pray for myself daily that I may humbly accept the challenge that Christ gives me. For I know that I need to accept that invitation every day of my life. I pray for you, too.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
No comments:
Post a Comment