Preparing Our Hearts for Easter: Day 14

An article by Frank    No Comments

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.

In his second letter to the Church in Corinth Paul expresses something that explains his compulsion as a disciple of Jesus. He says in the 8th verse of chapter 13:

“For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth”

This is his life, service to truth. But what is truth? Pilate asked this question of Jesus as he stood in front of him before the crowd called for Jesus’ execution. The answer?

Jesus is the embodiment of truth and to know truth we look to Jesus and listen to his voice. Jesus lived out truth and Paul confined his life to living nothing but that. Paul’s life was limited to only that, it was driven and guided by that.

What does it look like for us to take Jesus beyond simply being our savior, to make him the teacher of our lives – the focus of truth that guides all that we do? What does it look like to confine our lives to the challenges he laid out without trying to justify not doing them because they’re too hard or we think we’re not called to be like that?

Jesus’ example of life gives us a glimpse of what it means to truly be human, to live as God intended. Jesus demonstrated a life of love, sacrifice, service and righteous anger towards those who would push people away from God through their pious judgment – seeing people as not good enough.

It is the life of Jesus that we are challenged to live if we choose to call ourselves his followers.

As we prepare our hearts for Easter, let’s consider what it means to devote our lives to truth – to living as Jesus lived, to embody the things he valued and lived out. To do so, immerse yourself in the story of Jesus. Look at the gospels in the Bible as a way to explore his life and the things he valued, then lets live to imitate that.

Pray

Jesus – help us to discover you more and shape us to value the things you value, to live more like you.

Amen