Considering Jesus

Whatever resolutions you have made for 2018, whatever improvements you want to make in your life, consider this:

 “Following Jesus will make your life better and make you better at life.” (Andy Stanley)

Following Jesus can help you with the change you’ve chosen to make in your life, whether it’s abandoning a bad habit or picking up a good one.  I can say without hesitation that this statement is true for me, and I really want it to be true for you too.  

How has Jesus made my life better?

Because of Jesus - I know I am loved.  I am important.  I am forgiven.  I am not afraid of death.  My life has purpose and meaning.  No matter my circumstances, there is a joy and peace within me that nothing can shake. I am hopeful. I am never alone.  Does any of that sound good to you?

How has Jesus made me better at life?  

Following Jesus has made me more loving, more compassionate, more generous, kinder, and more truthful.  He has made me less self-centered. Jesus encourages me to look at the world through His eyes and respond to the world the way He does - by putting others before myself.  Jesus points me toward choosing good and avoiding evil.  Whatever the world throws at me, Jesus gives me the tools to learn from it or deal with it.  Does this sound like the way you would like to live?

People reject Jesus for all sorts of reasons. Whatever it is that is keeping you from following Jesus, I am inviting you to put it aside for a time.  Be open to the possibility that Jesus is who He says He is.

Who is this Jesus I want you to consider following?  

Jesus is a real-life person.  He was a Jewish itinerant teacher who lived in Israel in the first century and died by crucifixion.   He was seen alive after His death by hundreds of people.  Word spread.  He and his teachings changed the world.

Jesus is God.  Christians describe Him as the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity.  The One True God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Three persons. One God.  God is love.  God is relational.  God is beyond what we can imagine and as close as our next breath.

If this is true, and I strongly suggest to you that it is, following Jesus will make your life better and make you better at life.  Suspend your disbelief.  Consider Jesus.  You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

In the days and weeks to follow, my goal is to introduce you to the Jesus who is my Lord, Savior and Friend.  My prayer is that as you read my posts, you will choose to follow Him too.  He makes all the difference in the world.

Spirit of the Living God, Open our hearts and minds for the journey ahead, so that we may come to know You as You want to be known and follow You as You want to be followed.  In Jesus’ Name I pray.  Amen.