Therefore,
I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies
as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper
worship.
--
Romans 12:1
Early followers of Jesus were called Little Christs because their newfound
faith had transformed their lives for all to see. This odd group of people from
all walks of life — rich and poor, male and female, slave and free — were markedly
different from the rest of society. They somehow had grown more caring and
generous toward both neighbors and strangers alike, and they willingly
sacrificed their time and
resources to ease sorrow and correct injustice.
Ultimately, they had abandoned their old, selfish tendencies in favor of something
much greater.
In a word, they were changed.
And that says a lot for their leader — an
obscure rabbi from a distant corner of the Roman Empire who just happened to be
God’s own Son. Few recognized that at the time. But because some did and led
changed lives while following Jesus, millions in future generations would in
turn help to change the world for the better.
Modern-day
Christ-followers must too set aside their selfish deeds and desires in favor of
following Jesus’ example. Like those first disciples transformed by the words
of the Sermon on the Mount, we should recognize that Jesus the Leader was also Jesus the Follower. Christ spoke
constantly with his Father (God) in prayer and always sought his guidance.
“I tell you the truth, the Son can do
nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing,” explained Jesus, “because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”
It’s a radical approach that’s just as
life-changing today as it was 20 centuries ago. And it’s also an approach that
calls for personal action, commitment and sacrifice. So whether you’ve followed Jesus for five years or 55, grasp every opportunity to become more
like him, walk in his ways and see the world through his eyes. Then ask God to work
through you with his Holy Spirit — that personal, loving Power who makes it
possible to leave your old self behind and become a new creation.
It’s change that makes a difference. And eventually,
through the trials of life and the whispers of his leadings, we’ll become the
men and women our Creator always dreamed we could be.
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