The words are very clear, but if you’re like me, I start looking for loopholes. The translation of the Greek to English is pretty plain. Most every translation has the same words. But what do they mean?
Laying down our life is a challenging idea. It’s not every day that I get to put my life on the line for someone else. In Romans 12:1 Paul reminds us that this illustration includes everything up to dying for someone else. We’re challenged to consider ourselves as living sacrifices.
Have you ever realized that you live according to your identity? We don’t do things that contradict how we really see ourselves. We may say we’re one thing, but our identity, or our true picture of ourselves takes over. I say I want to be healthy, but I often find excuses to exercise. We may want to get out of debt, but we keep spending. Or we say we want to memorize scripture, but we end up watching YouTube videos or listening to our favorite playlist instead.
Jesus is calling us to be the people who lay down their lives for their friends. If we love someone the way Jesus did, that’s our job. The day-in-day-out hardest thing to do is serve others instead of our own agenda. Can you go out of your way for someone else? Can you change your plans? Can you give up time or money?
Will you ask the Holy Spirit today to show you how you can lay down your life in our daily situation. Maybe you’re a student. What can you do for a fellow student or for a teacher simply because you follow Jesus? Or maybe you’re an employee? What can you do over and above what is expected that might demonstrate your love for someone at work?
I have found that if we genuinely ask God and expect him to answer we will get an idea. Don’t tell yourself (or God) “No, that’s silly.” It may be the very thing God wants. He’s working in the life of everyone you interact with today. Your silly idea may be his strategy for including you. Don’t pass up the opportunity to join God and then experience his joy.
Remember, what we do because we follow Jesus matters, forever.
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