Social media has corrupted a lot of people and it’s negative influence
is leading many astray and to Hell Fire but they are not even aware of
the consequences ahead of them. This message is for everyone, but the
woman who wrote it directed it to ladies…
There’s a common trend among many women’s events, popular books, and
blogs today. It seems we’ve whittled down the words of Jesus to only
those of encouragement, support, and affirmation. We’re comfortable
hearing him (and one another) say: You’re wonderful! You’ve got this,
girl! Be yourself! You can do it!
And, to be clear, Jesus does encourage. He offers words of strength to the weary and comfort to the hurting.
But
by focusing on only part of his message, however, we’ve reduced Jesus
to a spiritual cheerleader. And, in turn, that’s what we’ve become to
one another. We offer words of affirmation, but not rebuke; words of
forgiveness, but not repentance.
We rightly
celebrate his grace, but often forget to mourn our sin. I’m concerned
that we’ve reduced Jesus to a spiritual cheerleader. And, in turn,
that’s what we’ve become to one another.
In doing so, we miss out
on life-giving realities in our relationship with Jesus and one
another. It’s the friends willing to call me out in my sin and say hard
things whom I trust the most. They’re the ones I return to time and
again for advice and wisdom — precisely because they recognize that who I
am isn’t all I need to be.
Jesus speaks to us in a variety of
ways — he teaches, commands, rebukes, calls, and exhorts. When we reduce
Jesus to our personal rah-rah section in the bleachers, we miss out on
the faithful friend we so desperately need. If you’re mainly hearing
“you’re great!” (cue Tony the Tiger) from your devotional or women’s
ministry, I invite you back to God’s Word, where we hear the voice of
Jesus in a diversity of ways.
Jesus Teaches: ‘I Am’
In
the Gospels, it’s clear Jesus thinks one person is supremely important
for us to know about: himself. He teaches in every way at every turn
about who he is: I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world. I
am the door. I am the good shepherd. I am the resurrection and the life.
I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the true vine. I am that I
am.
For some, this list might evoke images of a self-centered guy
who manages to bring every conversation back to himself. But with
Jesus, he teaches us about himself because he knows our understanding of
himself is the thing we most need.
If your devotional, Bible
study group, or conference is more focused on who you are than who Jesus
is, it’s time to pick up a new book or find another group. We
desperately need to know more about Jesus, for in him we find everything
we need.
If your devotional, Bible study group, or conference is
more focused on who you are than who Jesus is, it’s time to pick up a
new book or find another group.
Jesus Commands: ‘Obey My Word’
Jesus
wants us to obey God in everything we do and say. While the Pharisees
tried to lower the standard of obedience so they could meet it, Jesus
calls us to true obedience — not just in word and deed, but in our
desires and affections too. He wants our whole lives, so he bids us to
keep his commands: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may
be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).
Jesus
wants us to obey, but not out of duty or drudgery (though at times
obedience may feel like both). Jesus wants us to obey because he knows
God’s Word reveals God’s best. Walking in his commands may not always
feel joyful, but it leads to a joy-filled life.
Jesus Rebukes: ‘Flee from Sin’
Jesus
doesn’t look at our sin and say, “No big deal, just do whatever makes
you happy.” Instead he says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear
it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your
members than that your whole body be thrown into hell” (Matt. 5:29).
Jesus
makes it crystal clear how he feels about our sin: He hates it. He
knows it’s corrosive to our souls. He knows it never fulfills, and
always destroys. Because he loves us, he wants us to flee from sin and
call others do the same (Matt. 18:15–17). When teachers or books promote
sinful behavior as a means of self-fulfillment, Jesus sternly rebukes
and warns against them (Luke 17:1–3).
Jesus Calls: ‘Take Up Your Cross’
A
servant isn’t greater than his master. Jesus walked the road of the
cross, and he expects that we’ll do likewise: “If anyone would come
after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”
(Matt. 16:24). If there’s no cross in our Christianity, no denial in our
own lives, we have to wonder if we’re following the real Jesus. As
Elisabeth Elliot wrote, “To be a follower of the Crucified means, sooner
or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always
entails loss.”
When our devotionals or teachers speak more about
finding our lives than losing them, we miss out on the wonder of the
Christian life. If we’re frightened to call others to the narrow path —
the life of a living sacrifice — it might be because we’re still hanging
our hopes on this present world. Yet when we fix our hope on heaven,
we’re liberated to pour out our lives on earth. And, to our surprise, we
find our lives precisely by giving them away.
When our
devotionals or teachers speak more about finding our lives than losing
them, we miss out on the wonder of the Christian life.
Sisters, I
encourage you: Plant yourself in Jesus, not your feelings. Abide in his
Word, not someone else’s. He is more than our personal cheerleader. He
is our beginning and end.
[written by Melissa Kruger]
