And he (Jesus) said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”- Luke 9:23-24
In Chapter 2 (“A Decision or a Commitment?”) of Not a Fan, author Kyle Idleman references the story of Nicodemus (John 3), noting the reality that Jesus impressed on Nicodemus:
“There is no way to follow Jesus without him interfering with your life. Following Jesus will cost you something. Following Jesus always costs something.”
For Anne Graham Lotz (Wounded by God’s People) and her husband, faithfulness to God’s Word caused their church of fifteen yeas to sever its relationship with them. Certainly our ministry downsizing or vocation loss has been a major interference in our lives, not to mention lifestyles.
But our desert, transition time also is an opportunity for renewed commitment to Jesus. Pastor Idleman states that in the four Gospels Jesus says “Believe in me” about five times and “Follow me” about twenty times. The point is not that one is more important than the other, but that “the two are firmly connected. They are the heart and lungs of faith. One can’t live without the other. . . . Following is a part of believing. To truly believe is to follow.”
Today’s question: How has the Holy Spirit enabled you to strengthen your commitment to Jesus during your transformational, healing journey? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “From darkness to light”
