Luke 9:23-24, “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (24)For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
Salutations friends! Blessings to you on this another day the Lord has given each of us! We want to be positive and open to only good things today and force the negative to leave when it tries to step into our path! Today, let’s just take a moment to talk about the willingness of believers to follow God. When we accept salvation, we become changed in so many ways. Our mental, physical and spiritual lives are drawn to the service of being in a relationship with Jesus Christ, to learn more about His saving power and the promises of a heavenly home one day! Just like Joshua, in the Old Testament; we are challenged to choose whom we will serve, the evils of the world or the Lord! Jesus defined willing service through His own sacrifice upon the cross. In Mark 10: 45, the scriptures reinforce this by saying that the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve each of us and give of His own life. Our transformation should be a complete willingness filled with joy and a ready spirit! Every believer is encouraged to serve with zeal and a fervor to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and all that He offers. If we accept the call of discipleship, God will provide the necessary tools to carry out the work. God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called! Are you willing to accept the calling of Christ? Do you feel in your heart that you can do the task at hand that God can equip you to do? Do you have the character of obedience, humility, and desire to glorify God in all aspects of your life? Can you accept the calling with boldness, perseverance, unwavering faith, and commitment? Each believer, upon accepting salvation, has taken on a new, improved life; a choice of serving with a deliberate, life-altering decision, filled with heartfelt expectancies! It is also true that you do not need to go to seminary, become a pastor, or work inside a church, or be highly educated, to serve God! God will call you to serve right where you are! He called a tax collector, He called fishermen, He called shepherds, He called murderers and adulterers! Life changing events of salvation can take you to a life of servitude! When you show love, help hurting people, faith involves more than receiving Christ; it means as a daily follower of Christ you are obeying God’s call from “the heart”; an act of service! God will supply the strength, the wisdom, and all the resources you will need to fulfill the call; all you need is to be willing! So, today, in this moment, are you willing? Are you ready to do the calling that God has for you?
Scriptures:
Read: Mark 10:45, Deuteronomy 13:4, Deuteronomy 10:12-13, Isaiah 6:8, Joshua 24:15, Matthew 20:27-28, Proverbs 19:17, Colossians 3:17, 23-24, Luke 6:38, Psalms 100:1-5, 1 Samuel 12:24, Acts 20:35, Romans 12:11, 1 Peter 4:10-11, I Corinthians 15:58, 1 Peter 2:9
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come now thanking you for your Son’s sacrifice and His willingness to show us how true servitude works. Thank you, Father, for saving our souls from the pits of hell and giving us the promise of a heavenly home. Thank you, Father, for the Bible and all the knowledge it holds that can help us to be the servants you called us to be. Help us, Father, to use the gifts you have given each of us for the furtherance of your message to a lost and dying world. Amen.