How Is Jesus Grabbing Your Heart?
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 NIV)
We had Vacation Bible School at our church last a few weeks ago. I’ve participated as a leader before, but always in preschool classes because that’s the age my kids were, and it seemed leaders for the preschool group were a little hard to come by. But this year, I was privileged to coordinate Bible story teachers for the elementary group, and it was so much fun. I met new people, discovered a bit about them, and glimpsed some of their strengths while watching them teach.
One of our little neighbor friends also joined us for VBS. I have prayed for this girl and her family ever since we moved into the neighborhood. God gave me the sweetest gift this week as I watched her discover Jesus and the gospel story. She didn’t quite understand it all, but her excitement about joining us, being at church, and seeking the Lord gave me goosebumps.
As we were driving to the church one evening, our friend asked questions about baptism. I explained that if we believe Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for our sins and was resurrected on the third day, we could call Jesus our Savior. My son explained that we believe baptism (it’s full immersion water baptism at our church) is a symbol of our belief in these truths and a time to share that belief with the world around us, our friends, and our family.
“That’s all? It seems too easy,” she responded.
I wager that many a person feels like this exchange is easy. Yes, the being saved part is easy. However, our initial belief in these events is only the beginning of a journey toward knowing God, giving him our hearts, and loving him and mankind well. I suppose we could stop at salvation, but if we do, what did Jesus really die for?
With confidence, I say that if we accept salvation and can go no further, Jesus will accept that. I believe he desires us to be in heaven with him after this life. Yet abundant life, life worthy of a sacrificial death on a cross, is available to us this side of heaven because of what Jesus did on that cross. He showed us that sacrificing ourselves for one another is worth it. He taught us what social justice involves and encourages us to be a part of it. He tells us that our understanding of his death and resurrection is revealed by how we live our lives, by how we love others and put them before ourselves, how we cast out our own sin, and how we let the Holy Spirit lead us in all these ventures.
Doing these things is hard, holy work. We are sanctified by it, which according to Merriam-Webster means “to be set apart to a sacred purpose” or “to free from sin.” If we truly appraise the depth of Jesus’s sacrifice and all he went through for us, next steps seem plain—like they’re going to happen whether or not we want them to. Jesus grabs your heart like that, and even though it might be uncomfortable at first, that growth feels so good.
How can you see Jesus grabbing your heart today? May this post be a reminder that he wants our whole hearts, our whole lives, to glorify him and lead others to his unfailing love and an eternity in heaven.
Dear Lord, thank you for loving us. Thank you for the gift of salvation through Jesus. Lead us, Lord, into the next steps you have for us. Help us dive into knowing you more deeply and letting your love shine through us for the world to see. Let us look in the mirror and see more of you each time, to the point where we know the person we see is someone you like too. Amen.
Scripture for Reflection
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2 NIV)
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NIV)
Reach for More
My church is huge on “next steps”—what we’re doing to know God better, give him our hearts, and love our neighbors. To take stock of where we are, we can ask ourselves five questions, using five Gs:
- How am I seeing the Grace of God worked out in my life?
- What can I do to Grow into looking more like Jesus?
- What Gifts do I have to share with my neighbors and the world?
- How/what can I Give to be more Christlike or be more obedient to God?
- Where or for what can I Go to serve my neighbors in need?
These are great questions for us all, a great way to see the journey we’re on toward being like Jesus. We can see our progress, but we can also see where we’ve stagnated and needed a little reminder or even a push. Ask yourself these questions, and maybe you’ll see some places for reflection, growth, and celebration.
enjoys a crazy, beautiful life with her military husband, four sons, and a daughter. A baby interrupts her homeschool days in the best ways, and she is always attempting to live with mindfulness of each moment. She hopes to look at the world and each person in it in light of our amazing Creator, and therefore, to see each moment presented as an opportunity to love and serve him more. Carla relishes time to ponder God’s Word and have quiet moments with him and her coffee. She loves doing life with other mamas and encouraging them to simply be who God has made them to be.
Photograph © Forgiven Photography, used with permission
