Genesis1315
Ladies
A loving and lasting legacy
By Jon Walker
“… A righteous man will be remembered forever.” (Psalms 112:6 -- NIV)
Discipleship — Look into the future and think about the day you finally reach the end. I don’t mean the day you die, but perhaps the day your youngest child graduates, or the day your daughter gets married, or the day you retire. Or, praise, Jesus, the day you can drop the “rush” from “rush hour”!
On that day, would it seem worth it all if you received a letter like this:
“The ministry of your life is an exceptional illustration of Psalm 112, where the Bible teaches that a righteous person will be remembered forever. You served God and those around you with love, integrity, and respect. You lived life deliberately for God, and did not ‘shuffle or stumble’ around, and this is why you established “a sterling and solid and lasting reputation.” (Psalms 112:6 MSG)
The service, ministry, and mission that lead to such a lasting legacy are rooted in your character, and your character is developed in the discipling you receive from Jesus Christ.
In other words, you are not a disciple of the Bible, or of a church, or of Christianity. You are a disciple of Jesus Christ, and the other things (Bible, church, Christian community) are tools and methods Jesus uses to develop the life of Christ in you.
God’s aim for you is far beyond teaching you to follow a set of rules; his aim for you involves more than cramming for some galactic S.A.T. exam on the Bible. God’s aim is to completely transform your character into the same character as Jesus, and God started the process when he breathed the Holy Spirit into you the very instant you believed in Jesus for your salvation. You can be confident in this, that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion …” (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
But even as God works in you, he requires that you work with him in developing this new and radical character within you. You must be intentional about your own spiritual growth and at applying biblical principles to everything you do throughout the day.
You could spend the next 20 years learning the Bible, but if you don’t apply what you learn, then you’ll never deepen your faith or see your character mature.
Look at it this way: You could read about playing baseball all day long, but you won’t truly be a baseball player or have intimate knowledge of the game until you actually play the game. Now, you don’t have to be a perfect ball player in order to enter the game. The fact is, you’ll become a better ball player as you learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others.
But your real growth will come as you listen to the coach and practice the way he tells you to practice. He can see where you’re doing well; he can see where you’re a little off; he can see where you need a lot of work – and his goal is not to shame you or pick you apart as a player. His goal is to make you a better player, to see you succeed.
And “… if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NIV)
So what?
· God wants you to succeed in your Christian walk. Ask God to search your heart and show you why you doubt this in your life. How would you behave differently if you believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that God wanted you to succeed?
· What are you doing intentionally to grow spiritually? By the end of this week, develop a simple plan to keep you growing spiritually.
· When you study a Bible passage, ask God to show you how this new knowledge applies in your life. Then intentionally alter your thoughts and behaviors according to what you’ve learned.
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
The above content is provided in its entirety from purposedrivenlife.com and used with the full permission of the website. Additional archives of the Purpose Driven Life devotionals can be found in their archive.
By Jon Walker
“… A righteous man will be remembered forever.” (Psalms 112:6 -- NIV)
Discipleship — Look into the future and think about the day you finally reach the end. I don’t mean the day you die, but perhaps the day your youngest child graduates, or the day your daughter gets married, or the day you retire. Or, praise, Jesus, the day you can drop the “rush” from “rush hour”!
On that day, would it seem worth it all if you received a letter like this:
“The ministry of your life is an exceptional illustration of Psalm 112, where the Bible teaches that a righteous person will be remembered forever. You served God and those around you with love, integrity, and respect. You lived life deliberately for God, and did not ‘shuffle or stumble’ around, and this is why you established “a sterling and solid and lasting reputation.” (Psalms 112:6 MSG)
The service, ministry, and mission that lead to such a lasting legacy are rooted in your character, and your character is developed in the discipling you receive from Jesus Christ.
In other words, you are not a disciple of the Bible, or of a church, or of Christianity. You are a disciple of Jesus Christ, and the other things (Bible, church, Christian community) are tools and methods Jesus uses to develop the life of Christ in you.
God’s aim for you is far beyond teaching you to follow a set of rules; his aim for you involves more than cramming for some galactic S.A.T. exam on the Bible. God’s aim is to completely transform your character into the same character as Jesus, and God started the process when he breathed the Holy Spirit into you the very instant you believed in Jesus for your salvation. You can be confident in this, that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion …” (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
But even as God works in you, he requires that you work with him in developing this new and radical character within you. You must be intentional about your own spiritual growth and at applying biblical principles to everything you do throughout the day.
You could spend the next 20 years learning the Bible, but if you don’t apply what you learn, then you’ll never deepen your faith or see your character mature.
Look at it this way: You could read about playing baseball all day long, but you won’t truly be a baseball player or have intimate knowledge of the game until you actually play the game. Now, you don’t have to be a perfect ball player in order to enter the game. The fact is, you’ll become a better ball player as you learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others.
But your real growth will come as you listen to the coach and practice the way he tells you to practice. He can see where you’re doing well; he can see where you’re a little off; he can see where you need a lot of work – and his goal is not to shame you or pick you apart as a player. His goal is to make you a better player, to see you succeed.
And “… if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NIV)
So what?
· God wants you to succeed in your Christian walk. Ask God to search your heart and show you why you doubt this in your life. How would you behave differently if you believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that God wanted you to succeed?
· What are you doing intentionally to grow spiritually? By the end of this week, develop a simple plan to keep you growing spiritually.
· When you study a Bible passage, ask God to show you how this new knowledge applies in your life. Then intentionally alter your thoughts and behaviors according to what you’ve learned.
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
The above content is provided in its entirety from purposedrivenlife.com and used with the full permission of the website. Additional archives of the Purpose Driven Life devotionals can be found in their archive.