“People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Mark 7:37 NIV
If you want to do everything well, reflect Jesus more. Jesus did everything well. He did everything counter culturally. He loved instead of hated. He forgave instead of seeking vengeance. He told the truth instead of lying. He fulfilled the law we can never fulfill. Jesus is the way to do everything well. But is it Jesus we’re really trying to reflect?
“Our problem with following Jesus is we’re trying to be a better version of us instead of a better reflection of Jesus.” Bob Goff
Jesus looks at the heart. He looks at the intent of why we do things. We’re not fooling Him when our intentions aren’t pure. The selfishness we were all born with is a constant battle in our efforts to follow Jesus. Who are we really trying to promote: ourselves or Jesus?
Who are we really trying to promote: ourselves or Jesus?
God has been teaching me about intent this past year. He’s taught me about purifying my heart. I started writing daily devotionals in January of 2018. Nothing has purified my heart more than daily digging into God’s word and writing about it. Even this morning, I did not want to write. Each devotion I write is an emotional process God takes me through. Trying to stay on task, keeping my focus on God can be challenging. In my women’s group this week, one of the young Mom’s talked about Christian writers. She referenced a popular book, she made the point it was about the author, not about God. I responded to her and said, “As an aspiring writer, the hardest challenge I have is keeping it all about God.”
We all face that challenge, whatever our calling is on our lives. Each morning, we have to choose again who we are going to follow. We have to set our intentions for the day. We have to remind ourselves, life isn’t about me, it’s about Jesus. Then, as the hours slip by in our days, we have to keep ourselves on task. When we falter, we have to forgive ourselves, refocus, and keep going. I’m still mad at myself for getting upset in the tennis tournament I played last week. I lost focus of Jesus at that moment, I missed an opportunity to love a stranger. But I have to let it go, I have to forgive myself. The world doesn’t revolve around me, it revolves around Jesus. When I let Him lead, I have no regrets.
Question of the Day:
Have you been trying to make a better version of you or reflect Jesus?
Further Reading: Leviticus 16:29-18:30 NIV, Mark 7:24-8:10 NIV, Psalm 41:1-13 NIV, Proverbs 10:15-16 NIV
