Matthew 11:28–29 "Come to Me, all who are weary and
heavy-laden, 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."
Do you
ever think much about the personality of Jesus, what He was like sitting around
the fire at night or walking the roads with the disciples and the others? In
the scripture above, Jesus tells us what He was really like; humble and gentle.
“Finding rest for your soul” is just not possible in someone demanding,
sarcastic and self-absorbed. Jesus was none of those things. He was concerned
with everyone else…that’s why He came in the first place.
Romans 15:2 "Let each of us please his neighbor for his
good, leading to edification."
Be honest. How often do you think about others ahead of
yourself? If you are completely honest, your answer is probably, "Not
often." Jesus, in His ministry, was completely others centered. Everything
He spoke and did was for the edification of others. The world we live in is
completely focused on 'self', and Christians have bought into it. Jesus, on the
other hand, said: Mark 8:35 "For whoever desires to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save
it."
Jesus should be our model for living. We should be like
Jesus and be 'others centered' and 'others focused'. We should give our lives
away. It is the key to life and what Jesus told us to do. Like a lost key, many
Christians will look past it without picking it up. Gandhi once said, "I
like your Jesus...I don't like your Christians." If the church at large
would live out what we say we believe, this world would be a different place
and people would be clamoring for Jesus. Is Jesus your model for living? What
do you need to change in your life to accurately portray a life sold out for
Jesus?
Let's start by asking the Lord to give us a heart and passion for serving others and being more like Him as we go through the work day, interact with other in the grocery store, and spend time with our families at home. With Jesus as our model for our behavior, we will show others about Him. What a great legacy to pass on in our families!
