There are lots of ways to change the world--pick one!

Monday, July 12, 2010

DAY 12 (John 12)

Jesus upside-down Kingdom.  
In Chapter 12 of John’s Gospel, Jesus shares with us the true meaning of discipleship in the Kingdom of God.  He describes the disciple as a seed that falls into the ground and dies.  Jesus radical notion of discipleship is that we are to die to ourselves and not get caught up in the glitter of the world around us.  Strangely he tells us in the gospels is this is the way to happiness and meaning.  Where are you personally looking for meaning and purpose in life today?  What would it take for you to be truly happy?  As you think about our own times in which we live, think how counter-cultural Jesus call on our life really is.

    The world tells us to believe in yourself—Jesus says deny yourself and follow me

    The world says try hard to be #1.  Jesus tells us the first shall be last.

    We are taught to get ahead at all costs.  Jesus teaches us how to give yourself away.

    Today we stand up for rights.  Jesus says lay down your life.

    The American dream says the one with the most toys wins.  Jesus says if you gain the whole world    and lose your soul you have lost everything.

As we read Jesus view of the world around him, it’s as if he has gone into the window display of life and switched all the price tags.  Mankind has turned happiness into pleasure, position and possessions.  The world tells us in a thousand different ways that things satisfy.  Where are you finding your ultimate satisfaction?  If you lost every material thing today, would you have a self left? 

There were basically two kinds of people described in the book of John that followed Jesus.  It was those who ultimately saw who they were before God and the sufficiency of Jesus to make them whole that found the true joy of beginning to live.  I pray that God would grant you today, that same kind of heart. 


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