Friday, February 3, 2023
Last year, I studied most of the gospels. My goal was to really get to know Jesus. I asked myself questions like:
Who is Jesus?
How did he treat others?
Who did he spend time with?
What did he expect of others?
What did he do for others?
What did he teach?
As I answered those questions, the purpose of Jesus’ ministry became crystal clear: LOVE. He loves us unconditionally. He loved sinners and outcasts. For example, he spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well with love and kindness (John 4:4-42). He called a bleeding woman “daughter” after she touched his robe and told her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace” (Luke 8:48).
Jesus accepted people for whom they were and loved them anyway. He never expected perfection. This is such a freeing concept. Jesus loves us, and we don’t have to earn his love by being perfect.
But he does call us to change and grow to become more like him.
Ephesians 5:1-2
1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
The amazing thing is we don’t have to change and grow by ourselves. God, through the Holy Spirit, starts to change us when we accept Jesus as our Savior, but he can only change us if we get to know him. We get to know Jesus by studying the Bible, praying, going to church, joining Groups, and spending time with other Jesus followers.
As we know Jesus more, we grow and transform into a new person. We desire to become more like him. We are so grateful for the unconditional love he has shown us that we make the decision to be more loving to others.
This is a lifelong journey. I can tell you the Holy Spirit has changed me more than I could ever imagine. I can honestly say I am a mess without him. He has made me loving, forgiving, and more accepting of others. God doesn’t see only my faults. He doesn’t expect perfection from me.
God sees me as his precious daughter through the eyes of unconditional love. He sees all of us this way! Praise God! This fills me with so much peace, joy, and love. It makes me long to be just like him and tell others about him.
Questions:
Who is Jesus? How did he treat others? What can you do to grow closer to him? How has Jesus changed you?
Next Steps:
Study the life of Jesus. Let the gospels change your heart and change you into a new person. Is it time for you to attend GrowthTrack or join a Group?
Prayer:
Jesus, I love and adore you. I am overwhelmed by your unconditional love. I am so grateful for your precious Word. Your Word has changed my heart and my life. I long to be just like you. Help me to love others as you love me. Lord, please continue to transform me into your likeness. Amen.
This post was written by Marsha Raymond. Marsha has been happily married to her husband, Jeff, for 30 years. They have two grown sassy and fearless daughters. She loves spending time with God, her family and friends, reading, riding bicycles, yoga and walking.