
On our podcast this week we discussed a question that anyone who calls themselves a Christian should give consideration. Why did you choose to follow Jesus?
For starters, shoeing up on Sunday mornings and walking dow the aisle for an altar call make you a Christian. They don’t make you a Christ-follower. Think of it like a marriage. The aisle is day one. Every day that follows, sometimes every moment, you must choose to love the one you committed yourself to. It’s the same when you follow Jesus. Take up the cross, make the decision, daily.
Is it worth it though? Daily deciding that the way to live a life that is worth living is to go against the grain of the rest of the world?
If you take a look around you right now, you see chaos, especially in America. Politics, masks, Covid-19, and more divide us. And Christians are some of the worst about it. We may know the Way, but we aren’t called to win a battle of wits and wagers. We are called to love. Love our enemies. Love God. Love the outcast and difficult.
And once we’ve decided who is right and wrong, we have make sure we never change our mind or get caught in the act of judging another. We were told in the Bible that the measure we use to judge others will be used on us.
I’m not advocating a pacifist non-communicative method. I love civil discourse. But nothing is civil now. Nothing is peaceful.
Peace is not the absence of conflict in the world. Peace is established within our hearts and makes its way out into the world. It adds flavor to the way we respond to crisis and hatred. It brings character to our lives.
That’s why I make the decision to follow Jesus, at least right now. The reason may change as my life changes, but currently I see how he maintained connection to his Father, he loved everyone he came into contact with, and even in the midst of betrayal and crucifixion he kept peace in the center of his being. It doesn’t make sense. That’s okay. I’m at peace with that.
Go listen to Bad to the Bone, episode 7 in our podcast for more.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/smoke-and-water/id1526237677?i=1000491150693