Blessings of Following Jesus Christ

At times like this – when life is disrupted from normal routines – it is easy to become frustrated, anxious and discouraged. Disciples of Jesus Christ are not exempt. When we choose to follow Jesus, we surrender everything. We give up our rights, our privileges, our entitlements, our wills to the King on the throne of our hearts. Our posture is to be one of “What are your orders?”

In our humanity it is tempting (and easy) to focus on everything we give up for Jesus Christ. Considering what He gave up for our redemption, it pales in comparison. Yes, there is sacrifice. No, it is not all easy. At the same time, by focusing on ourselves we lose sight of the wonder of salvation. In addition, we fail to see the incredible blessings of being one of Jesus’ disciples. These blessings apply to all believers in all cultures around the world at all times. They do not promise physical and material (health & wealth) blessings some false gospels claim.

To the contrary, consider these words from Scripture:

James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.

2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Blessings come to us because they are promised by God. They are not dependent on circumstances, but, rather, on who God is. During this time of uncertainty about the future, I believe it is critical to ground ourselves in the truth of God’s Word and His promises. These are not temporary blessings that dissolve with an unexpected setback but promises and blessings that are grounded in eternal realities. During the month of May, I want to call each of us to consider a blessing each day for every disciple of Jesus Christ along with several verses of Scripture. I encourage you to claim these promises… these blessings and meditate on the Scriptures throughout the day.


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