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The word "come" might sound simple, yet its genuine commitment can be challenging to embrace in our journey of faith. We’re going to delve into the beautiful truth that Jesus personally invites each of us to join him. When we are supported and surrendered to the Holy Spirit, we're also entrusted with the mission to extend this invitation to others.
Our biggest fights actually begin inside our heads, where our thoughts wrestle and our beliefs clash. So, just like Colossians 3 mentions, we need to regularly refresh and reshape our thinking to better equip ourselves for the challenges we face in life.
In life, we encounter moments of despair, confusion, and limitation. It is during these times that we may feel lost, spiritually blind, and unable to move forward. Yet, it is essential to remember that it is in the in-between where Jesus shows up most powerfully. He bridges the gap between our struggles and ultimate transformation. Jesus is our in between.
If you’re not excited about something, chances are you won’t tell many people about it. For many Christians, the excitement of the Christian walk has been dulled by everyday distractions, materialistic pursuits, and unconfessed sin. We can stay excited about our relationship with Jesus Christ and, as a result, tell more people about Him.
At some point, we all feel unqualified and ill-equipped to tell someone else about what Christ has done for us. We may think we don’t have the right words to say or can’t do what God is calling us to do. Well, that’s good because then we aren’t relying on our own strength, but on the Holy Spirit to work in and through our words and actions. God equips those who are called. Since He has called you to Himself, He is the one who will help you through.
One of the biggest motivations that the Holy Spirit gives to Christian believers is a desire to get closer to God. To know Him more and to know His plan and purpose so that the Holy Spirit can move us out into the world to tell others about the love, joy, peace, and redemption found in and through His Son Jesus Christ. What we may feel at one given moment is not how the Holy Spirit operates. He is the motivator that is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is constant while our emotions may change.
The Bible calls us to be transformed into being overcomers through becoming more like Christ. If you think back on your life before Christ, before knowing Him and being united to Him, there may have been times you were addicted to something— and it doesn’t have to be drugs or alcohol— it could have been your career, money, fame, influence. But when Christ came, He changed everything. There is power in our testimonies. We become the light of the world when we share about the blood of the Lamb and our testimony. By sharing with others they too can become overcomers.
No matter what kind of suffering you face, there is life-giving hope that springs forth from our merciful God. In his loyal love and faithfulness, God comes alongside us in our suffering in order to strengthen our faith, purify our lives, and heal our hearts by centering us on Christ and the good news of the gospel.
Where would you be if your friend or relative didn’t ask you to come to church or attend a Christian event? Think about it. Your friend was most likely your friend first before asking you to hear about Jesus. How we seek people, how we listen, how we engage and invite can make all the difference. It can soften hearts to hear the good news of the love of God through Jesus Christ.
Our God is not only a pursuing God, he is a sending God. Jesus’ great commission is for his people to go and do likewise. To go and seek those who are lost and share their witness, their testimony of who Jesus is and what he has done in and through our lives. God calls us to be part of the rescue mission, the search party, the body of Christ to love those who are lost.
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