LIVING FOR JESUS
Psalms 116:12-14 How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
I think that this question is in the heart of every Christian. I believe for every Christian there is a kind of yearning in our hearts that continually wants to not only tell Jesus thank you, but to do something to show our appreciation for all he has done for us. Some people go into the ministry, others serve on committees, sing in the choir or help in the nursery. The thing is no matter what we do or how much, in our heart we know it is never enough. After all, Jesus hung on Calvary’s cruel cross for us. We didn’t have to receive God’s just punishment . We didn’t even have a crown of thorns jammed down on our head. Nothing we could ever do could match the great sacrifice that Jesus made for us. There is one thing that we can do is to live our life for him. Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - which is your spiritual worship.” As simple as it is, living our life to bless and glorify Jesus is what he desires. He doesn’t expect us to sacrifice all that we have, or punish ourselves. He wants us to enjoy and be grateful for the wonderful gift of salvation and reconciliation that he has given us.
Today is Christmas Eve. It is one of my very favorite days. As a pastor I always had a Christmas Eve service where we had the church all decorated up with lights, garland, Poinsettias and the like. I would wear my red robe and read the Christmas story. We would sing many of the favorite Christmas songs and take Holy Communion. Then we would end with a candle lit song of “Oh Holy Night”. Each Christmas Eve service was unique and special in its own way. I can’t ever remembering one that I was not blessed as I would reflect on how Jesus humbled himself to become part of his own creation.
We can’t begin to comprehend the gift that God gave us in Jesus until we receive that gift and then enjoy it everyday of our life.
When my grandmother on my mother’s side passed away, we went over as a family to her apartment to remover her belongings. As I took the things out of her dresser I found several Christmas presents that she had received and had just placed them in the drawer. They had never been opened. It kind of left me surprised and saddened. I couldn’t imagine why she hadn’t opened the gifts that someone had given to her in love. As I look back now I think that she had received them in the mail, and because she didn’t have anyone with her to open them she decided to wait for one reason or another. Grandma died never knowing what was in them, or being able to enjoy them. She never experience the love that the gift was intended to show to her.
Sad to say multitudes down through time have done the same with God’s gift in Jesus’ Salvation. Many have been given the gift, but it was never received. They never knew the great joy of having Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They never knew the joy of the transformed life or lived it for him. Many have like myself received him into their heart and returned their most precious gift in return, and this was a personal, intimate relationship with him expressed in their daily life lived.
Are you a Christian? Are you living your life for Jesus as a gift to honor him? If not, I encourage you to begin to do it today. We can have no greater joy and blessing than to give ourselves back to Jesus.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we love you and praise your holy name. Please help us to live each day to bless and glorify you. We ask this in your holy name.
