Day 31 "Come, Follow Me"

I was once asked, "Mark, who's following you? Who's life are you making an impact on?"

Some people just ooze with confidence and light up the room whenever they enter the room. Effortlessly, it seems, they make their way through life with a continuous smile upon their face that appears to be concocted or fabricated at first ( Who keeps smiling that long?) until you get to know the person and come to realize that this smile is just part of this person's genetic makeup, part of their DNA. They can't help but smile. It is a part of who they are. It is like they were born with the Midas touch-everything they touch seems to turn out golden. My wife, Robyn, can quickly point out the have's and the have not's in a room full of people. Self-confidence registers high in character traits on her scorecard, as well as for the most of us, for with self-confidence it seems that the possibilities in one's future is limitless and anything is possible! And in their wake, there hints a whisper of enviousness within us that wishes we could change places with them.

But have you ever considered the types of people Jesus selected to be his disciples? Who he spent his time with? Common ordinary people and those that other people despised- like simple fishermen and a tax collector. He used simple ordinary people to carry out and accomplish extraordinary things. Like today, it was common back in Jesus' time for people to casts judgement and criticisms on one another. In the book of Matthew, chapter nine, you will find the self-righteous Pharisees, the religious leaders of their time, complaining about the company that Jesus was keeping. Jesus responded:

"It is not the healthy who needs a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this

means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but

sinners." Matthew 9:12-13

It is easy to fall into the mindset of the world that popularity, fame, looks, wealth, accomplishments are the scorecard to one's identity and purpose here on Earth. For many of us, we find ourselves struggling in a spirit of defeatism bent towards the tendency to give up on our lives before giving our lives a real chance at purpose and meaning. But Jesus came to change all that:

"I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my

yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will

find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus came to change our mindset from focusing all our hope and attention on this life which is temporary to turning our attention to his coming kingdom- that life after this one which is eternal.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid

it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought the field."

Matthew 13:44

When our mindset looks at the temporariness of everything around us, God, through Christ begins to shape our spiritual eyes and spiritual hearts to see what is really important in this life, and to see ourselves as God sees us. When that begins to happen, our shortcomings become clumps of clay in God's hands to begin reshaping us into the image and mindset He intended for us to be. Each of us becoming invaluable, priceless children in God's family, co-heirs with Christ. In God's economy, everything becomes possible for it is no longer measured by earthly perspective but by a spiritual one. Jesus is our great equalizer (See Day 23) in the spiritual realm. When we look at life through a spiritual viewpoint with our spiritual eyes and spiritual hearts, we will see how we each play a vital role and have a unique destiny that only we, ourselves, can fulfill.

"I can do all things through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

And so it is, that God, through Christ, calls each one of us into His family and calls us to find our own destiny. As Christ did with his disciples, he is calling out to each one of us. If we are willing and desiring for God to use our common ordinary life to do extraordinary things for Him, then hear with your spiritual ears the invitation he is extending to you:

"Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

The Christian life is an easy road to travel WHEN we perceive it to be two things:

"And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ (By faith and

not by works that we try to do), and to love one another as he commanded us."

1 John 3:23

(Love is the fulfillment of the law- Romans 13:8-10)

I ask you the same question that was asked once of me, "Who's following you? Who's life are you making an impact on?" If you are desiring for your life to really count, to really mean something to others and to God, then I encourage you to accept Jesus' invitation for your life to come, follow him, and he will make you a fisherman of men.

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"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my

friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant do

not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends." John 15:13-15

Your life has immense value to God. In him you will be made whole. In him you will find your ultimate purpose and destiny in this life. May your spiritual eyes and heart be opened to feel his love and embrace his truth.

I will be back here tomorrow...