This is part 4 of a series we have been going through each week. You can look back at previous posts to go into depth, but here's a quick recap:
Week 1 - Our culture says we ought to be independent, but we all depend on Jesus for life and salvation. Whether we like it or not, we are dependents.
Week 2 - Our culture tells us we need to be handle everything on our own and not rely on others, but God provided the church so that we could have a support system and people to help us with our burdens.
Week 3 - Our culture promotes the idea of pursuing the "easy life" - looking for success and wealth so we can sit back and relax. God never promised us an easy life, even for those who follow Him, but He did promise to never leave us alone. Not only did He provide the church as a support network, but He also promised to always be with us no matter what we go through. In the midst of darkness, He is our Light.
We each have a list of responsibilities that we have to deal with. Some of you may have a longer list than others. Here is a simple list to think about:
- School (grades, GPA, friends, teachers)
- Home (chores, siblings, parents, questions)
- Sports (practice, games, exercising)
- Instruments (practice, recitals, being reminded to practice)
- Work (shifts, coworker/manager drama, customers)
- Finances (saving up for college/car/vacation, insurance, gas)
- Hard times
That last one ought to cover most of what may have been missed in terms of things that give us stress, worry, or anxiety. And on top of all these responsibilities, as Christians we are called to do so much more:
- Love our neighbors (and enemies)
- Help those in need
- Support our neighbors
- And one of the most difficult things: BE LIKE JESUS CHRIST.
Why is that so difficult? Well, He was literally perfect, He performed miracles, He was patient, wise, loving and compassionate, and He wasn't afraid to call people out when they were in the wrong. He was the Son of God. He died for the sins of the world. HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.
He's a hard man to emulate. There's just so much going on. And yet, that's what we are called to do - to be like Jesus.
As we put all of these together, it can very easily lead to even more stress as we try to do everything and do it like Jesus. It can be overwhelming. So what does God tell us to do?
Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
I don't know about you, but the advice "just don't worry about it" doesn't work for me. THANKFULLY, God doesn't leave it there. He says, "Don't worry. Instead, turn it over to me. Let me take on the stress and the anxiety and the worry. Let me handle it. Trust me with it."
Whether it be a worldly thing we are worrying about, or a spiritual thing that we feel like we are not living up to, God says we can bring it to Him. When Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine, He took away the threat of punishment and death from those who believe in Him as their Lord and Savior. When we fail, when we mess up, when we don't measure up, God doesn't hold that against us.
The pressure is off.
While we are called to be like Jesus, God knows that we could never measure up to that standard on our own. He knows we are going to fail at times. He knows we are going to fall short some days. He doesn't hold our shortcomings against us. Our goal ought to be to do our very best to be like Jesus, but not to give up hope or become overwhelmed by anxiety when we fail.
Luke 9:23-24 - "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever looses their life for me will save it.'"
The call to be like Jesus is a daily endeavor. Every day we make the decision to leave behind our old self and become more like Jesus. That's what it means to take up our cross. We are taking up death, the death of who we used to be, to then follow in the new life we have received in Jesus.
The point of this message is to help you find a balance between God's expectations and God's grace. He expects us to be more and more like Jesus every day, but He also extends us grace when we fall short.
Think about all the people in the Old Testament who fell short, and God used them anyway:
- Moses literally murdered someone.
- Abraham was a liar.
- Gideon was a bit of a scaredy-cat and lacked trust in God at times.
- David committed adultery and then sent the woman's husband to his death in battle.
- Jonah ran away from God.
These are just a few examples of people who God used even though they weren't perfect. We see the same in the New Testament:
- Saul (who we know as Paul) hunted down, persecuted, and imprisoned Christians (before becoming one himself).
- Matthew, one of Jesus' disciples, was a tax collector (a profession known for dishonesty and greed).
- Peter denied Jesus three times.
Of all the people in the Bible, even the Christians, only one was perfect: Jesus Christ. We are called to be like Him, but there is grace when we fall short.
God's measure of a successful life is whether or not we followed in Jesus' footsteps. He wants to see us try to be like Jesus and to try to follow His example. So, to sum up some takeaways from this message:
1. Success = following God.
2. Any "failing" on your part has, is, and will be forgiven - you are loved, always.
3. You have an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God on your side.
4. You have a community of fellow believers willing and wanting to help.
So, as you are looking for how to live your life, and what to do in your life, make sure you are finding that balance between God's expectation to be like Jesus and His grace when you fall short. Whatever worries, struggles, or anxieties you face, entrust them to God.