God calls each of us to live like Jesus. He doesn’t say if you feel like it or when it’s convenient or when you have more money or time or become an expert in the field. It’s not optional and it’s not on our timetable. It’s a mandatory demonstration immediately.
But it’s not an “I have to…”, it’s more like “I get to…”. It’s like saying I get to fly to Hawaii and eat the most wonderful foods and enjoy the most fantastic experiences and spend as much time as I want with the most amazing people…right now.
How is it possible that a command feels like an invitation? If we say yes for the same reason behind Jesus’ words and actions, the details of what and how we are to live like this simply fall into place. The invitation is in the why.
So why did Jesus speak and act as He did? And why should we follow His model?
Love. Because Jesus radiates the Father’s love and we, in turn, are compelled to reflect it as well.
In John 15:10 Jesus teaches us “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in His love.”
If we keep His commands, we demonstrate that we remain in His love. And if we are living in His love, we will demonstrate this by doing what He calls us to do. This love equation works both ways.
God created this world and everything in it not because He needed anything but because He wanted to demonstrate His infinite love. He requires that, if we claim to follow Christ, we reflect this love to each other as well. And that, my friends, is an invitation to the most amazing journey you’ll ever experience!
