Guest Post : Fully Committed Followers

Fully Committed Followers is one of our first guest post articles, the first of many. It is written by my close friend, Dominique Lovell who has a heart that longs for intimacy with Jesus and for others to have that very same passion. I'm sure that as you read it, you would also have a desire to be fully committed to Jesus. 

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When we look at our lives, the obstacles we face, the trials, temptations and the great effort that it takes to go against the grain of society and stand firmly in our faith, many times we ask ourselves, is Jesus worth it? Is He really worth all of the trouble and self-denial? 

 

My answer to you each and every time is YES, He is worth it. In fact, He is worth far much more because He first loved you! 

But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 

Jesus Christ is a demonstration of God’s extravagant love for us! Even though we were created for God’s glory and we were the ones who rebelled in sin and rejected Him time and time again, YET He still desired us and even dared to come in the form of man, Jesus, live a life of perfect submission to God, suffer, die, resurrect and ascend to Heaven and promise to come again, all that God could have you forever! Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the God Man died for your sins that you may be reconciled to God! And He’s coming back for all those who He has called His own, those who have received Him. That is the gospel of Jesus Christ – that while we were yet undeserving, God desired us and made a way through Jesus Christ giving us an open invitation to receive Him as our Lord and Saviour.

 When we examine what great lengths God has gone to demonstrate His immense love for us, I think it is time that we consider our response. What does the good news of Jesus Christ mean to us? Are we living lives worthy of the gospel? Paul urged the church of Philippi to live lives worthy of the good news of Christ, he reminded them of key facts: that they were citizens of Heaven above all else and that unity in the body of Christ in fighting for the common cause of the faith is necessary when seeking to live worthy lives.   

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Philippians 1:27

 

We ought to stand united as the body of Christ fighting the good fight of faith together!

It was necessary for Paul to remind the church of Philippi that they were citizens of Heaven, and this reminder rings through for us today because so often we forget. We spend the majority of our time, energy, resources and money on earthly things and therein forget that we don’t live for this life solely. In fact, this life is but a foretaste of the next, a transitioning point to which we work towards establishing the Kingdom of God here until it is fully come. Don’t get distracted by the cares of this world, this is not your final destination! Let your lifestyle and priorities reflect that your treasures are stored in Heaven where moth and rust won’t destroy. When you are a fully committed follower of Jesus, you set your eyes on things above where Christ is seated and rightly represent the Kingdom to which you belong. 

We ought to be united with ONE spirit and one purpose, this means that there must be a choice. Many times we find persons who contemplate being fully committed to Jesus, and they decline the invitation and make excuses to continue to indulge in their ungodly lifestyles. In fact, some of them are okay with simply appearing to be Christians while they continue to follow their own worldly desires. My friend, that is subtle deception; you cannot serve two masters, you will love one and hate the other.

You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. James 4:4

God wants all or nothing.
No reservations
No façades. 

He doesn’t want your appearance of godliness or your ‘goodness’, He wants your HEART, and until He gets that, He won’t be satisfied. Unless you truly surrender your life to God, receive Jesus and live a life unto Him, you will be an enemy of God and I admonish you to correct that for it is better to know Him as Father now than Judge then. 

Serving Christ is not a passive decision, you must passionately desire to go after Him with all that you are, you must pick up your cross and follow Him daily. He wants your time, your dreams, your desires, your love, your heart...your life. He wants it all.

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.  Matthew 10:34-39 

Jesus did not come in the flesh so that you could remain the same! He did not come so you could continue to be comfortable in your sin. Jesus came to rescue you! To free you of your misconceptions, to shed light and truth in your present darkness. He loves you too much to leave you the same. Fully committed followers of Jesus understand that they must never love another more than Jesus, they understand that in order to find their lives in Christ, they must first lose it by giving it over to Him.

My question to you today is, are you a fully committed follower of Jesus? Are you living as a citizen of Heaven with your eyes fixed on that which is eternal? When no one else will follow Jesus, are you still willing to give Him your heart, soul, mind and strength? Will you make Jesus your choice even when He’s unpopular? Are you willing to forsake all to follow Him? 

Consider these questions and answer them truthfully, then consider this reality – He is worthy. 

He deserves a life which is fully committed to Him. I know surrendering is often a challenging and even scary request but it is required if we are to experience the fullness of life in Christ. If we are to truly encounter Him and live lives worthy of the gospel of Christ, we have to allow Him to be our Saviour AND our Lord!

I leave you with this final word of encouragement, God wants your entire heart and He will settle for nothing else and nothing less. Jesus did not come to save you simply for you to remain the same, when you receive Christ, you become a new creation, therefore put away the old man and the old way of life! Embrace the newness of life in Christ. Dare to live a life that is worthy of the gospel of Christ today; every sacrifice you make is worth it. Be reminded, Jesus is looking for committed followers.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Prayer starter: Lord I recognize that You will not relent until You have all of me, today I surrender and submit my heart, will and mind to Your leadership. Holy Spirit, I ask that You will empower me to lead a life worthy of the gospel and that You will direct my steps in the ways of righteousness. I put off the old man and lay aside every weight and idol which hinder me from following You, I repent for loving another more than You. Lord it is my earnest desire that I never love another more than I love You, please make this my reality. All of these things I ask in the precious name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Dominique Lovell is a talkative, ambitious and humorous Christian. She is an immense lover of people and this has fueled her choice to pursue a degree in Social Work. She believes and promotes that as Christian youths, we should be setting an example for all believers through speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. It is her desire to encourage, edify and inspire through her writing and she hopes that it will provoke your mind and stir your spirit. Read more of her posts at Heavenly Glimpses.

“You may not be able to change the world, but you can definitely change a life.” – Dominique Lovell

 

I Have No Need of You

 "I have no need of you", the eye said to the foot. "I don't need you to be able to stand, I can do it on my own. You have no purpose here so you can leave!". The foot hearing what the eye said became very insecure and unsure of his purpose. He was heartbroken by these hurtful words from the eye. The foot made a big decision, he told the eye, "I am leaving" and the eye said, "Good, this is the best decision you have made yet!". So the foot left. When the eye saw something that it wanted, it tried to move but he was unable to. He was stuck in one position, what a tragedy. The eye then realized with tears beginning to flow that I can go no where without my foot.

That is the story of the foot and the eye. It is such a sad story but it is one that is familiar to many people. These words, 'I have no need of you' may have been echoed towards you or it may be a feeling you have on the inside when you think no one appreciates you. The reality is that you are needed. You were created for a purpose and a plan.

But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 1 Corinthians 12:18-21 (NKJV)

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul discusses the gifts of the Spirit and he goes on to talk about the body and it having many members. From verses 18-21, it says that the body has many members but it is still one body. What is this body, you may ask? This is the body of Christ. It is the church, it is His bride. We make up the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13).

The body has many members which all have a part to play. When each member plays their part, the body functions effectively. Each one of us has a part to play in the body of Christ. We all have talents, gifts and personalities that bring a unique flavour to things. Imagine a world where everyone was the same, that would be boring.

We have been chosen and predestinated by God before the foundations of the world to be holy and without blame before Him (Ephesians 1:4-5, Romans 8:28-30).  We are the workmanship of God created unto good works (Ephesians 2:10). Our existence is to bring glory and honour to God through our gifts and our personalities.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

We are needed!! We all play a part in the greater advancement of God's Kingdom. At this time, some may not know the talents God has placed in them but you just need to ask. Ask Him, what He wants to do through you, how He will use you in this time. Don't be like the man with the one talent who didn't invest in it, don't be one who sits waiting on things to be done. Take the initiative, get productive because you are needed.

You Make Me Brave

God makes us brave. What does it mean to be brave? Being brave is having the ability to do something without fear. It is to be courageous, it is to be bold. This is not to say that we would not experience fear but that we would overcome the fear with the truth of God's Word.

Fear is not of God. God is love and perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:17-18). Fear can hinder us from moving forward in the things of God. As a result, we will be unable to do the things He wants us to do because the fear will be overcoming us rather than we overcoming the fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). We have power which is given from God, we have the love of Christ and we have the mind of Christ.

"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)

We are brave because God is with us. He said that He will never leave us or forsake us. The Lord says to be strong and courageous not because we can do it by ourselves but because He is the One that goes with us. He is the One that is with us in those situations where we feel that we cannot do it and where we think that we would not be good enough. God is the Omnipresent God who is with always even to the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). When we feel afraid, we have to remember that God is with us. He is right by our side, He is right on the inside.

Before Jesus left the disciples, He promised them that He will give them another comforter. He promised that He will send the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18). In verse 18 of John 14, Jesus told them that He will not leave them comfortless, that He will come to them.We have been given the Holy Spirit, the comforter who dwells in us.

"And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." Acts 4:31(NKJV)

We become bold through the Holy Spirit. After the people were filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 4, they spoke the Word of God with boldness. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to do the things we thought we could never do. It is He who gives us the strength and the courage to do it. We can do nothing without the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing without God. It is through God that we live, move and have our being.

"The wicked flee when no one pursues but the righteous are bold as a lion." Proverbs 28:1 (NKJV)

 As the children of God, we were never called to be cowards. We were never called to be afraid but we were called to be bold. The righteous are as bold as a lion. A lion is not afraid. He takes up territory and he claims what is his. We are heirs and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. We are called to be brave!

Heavenly Father, I ask that You would give us a spirit of boldness and of courage. We recognize that we can only be brave through You. Only through You, can we do it. I pray that we would not have a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of sound mind. Let us be ones who are bold for You. In Jesus' name, Amen!