An invitation, not an obligation.

I am so concerned for my kids, grandkids and the ones I teach (my kids too!). These are challenging times with Covid-19, virtual learning, political unrest, injustice, an unsure future, and so much more. It is challenging to get them to "trust" anything or anyone, much less a God they cannot "see". 

Who is Jesus to them?

Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi. There he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”They replied, “Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah. You are the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! No mere human showed this to you. My Father in heaven showed it to you. Here is what I tell you. You are Peter. On this rock I will build my church. The gates of hell will not be strong enough to destroy it.  I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. What you lock on earth will be locked in heaven. What you unlock on earth will be unlocked in heaven.” Then Jesus ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. (Matthew 16: 13-20)

Accepting Christ isn’t just a one time decision. That decision is important, of course,  but it’s only a part of the coin. The first side of the coin is something we call “justification.” This is a biblical word that means “made right with God.” We acknowledge and accept God’s love through Jesus Christ for ourselves. The other side is the way we become more like Jesus. . . .“sanctification.” God doesn’t want us to just acknowledge him and his grace; He wants us to live it out every day of our lives! This is our day by day walk with Jesus.

There are times in our lives when this day by day walk seems like something we have to do. It seems like an obligation – like homework or doing chores around the house. But God wants us to see it differently. A daily walk with Jesus is an invitation, not an obligation. Jesus constantly asked people to "follow Me" (thirteen times in the Bible). He did not force them, coerce them, or trick them. 

Even for me, it is a challenge to "follow" Jesus all throughout the day. I must decide to do it. Challenges of day-to-day life get in the way. I must be deliberate! I need help along the way. Let's encourage one another to accept Jesus' invitation daily and to walk with Him daily! Hey, let's walk together!!!