[Real Life] Love And SacrificeSample
Discover God to Know His Will
Jesus says, “No longer do I call you servants... instead I called you friends.” I know I’m saved because I’ve trusted Jesus dying for me; I’m not earning my salvation—now I'm a friend. If I am a friend, I will know my Master’s business and He will tell me everything I need to know. “Everything I’ve learned from my Father, I’ve made known to you.” My Friend and I know God’s business.
Why do we so often pray, “Lord, what is Your will? Is it right turn or left turn? Is it speak or remain silent? Is it do this or do that? This car, or that job?” If we are supposed to know the Father's business, why are we so confused about so many things? We have missed defining that the Father’s business is not what we do, it is who we are.
Who are we? We are Children of God. What are we supposed to do? Abide in Jesus. That is the business of God. We often want the ‘specifics of the doing’ not the ‘generals of abiding.’ We want the specifics of the mission so we can execute them on behalf of God, instead of the general aspects of the task being God’s. Choose general abiding over specific doing. The call is not to bear fruit but to abide. This requires faith, not sight. We trust that if we abide deeply we will achieve greatly. The goal is not ‘answers’ from God, but a relationship with God. And if you discover God, you will discover His will. Find the God of “God's will,” and you will find God's will.
If you know the Father’s business of resting in Him, then you will know who you are—His friend! If you are a friend then you will know what to do and how to serve. If you are only about what to do, you will begin to think, “God, you owe me something. You have to tell me something. God, because I am still a private. I don’t have a relationship with my Sergeant, so I just want orders.” Jesus says, “I did not die on the cross to make you a private, I died on the cross to make you my pal, and I’ve called you friend. If you get to know Me, then you will know who you are in Me, and you will know what to do.”
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About this Plan
Where is real life found? The Bible tells us that we find it abiding in Christ. In this fourth devotional plan from the Real Life series, we are invited to know what it is to have friendship with God. By walking in friendship with Jesus Christ we will receive the love the Father has for us—Agape love. God chose to love us and His love bears a lasting legacy.
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We would like to thank Gregg Matte for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://www.houstonsfirst.org