January 22nd

January 22

To love and serve Jesus and to love and serve others we have to be intentional. It won’t happen on its own. We need to make it a priority and a passion. Ask the Lord to make you passionate about loving and serving Him. He WILL do it! We devote time to things that are important to us, so if we are passionate about Him, we will devote time to Him. The Word says that where our hearts are our treasure will be.

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

SO let’s make Jesus our treasure and be intentional with our time so that we have time for Him! When Jesus called the disciples to follow Him there was intention.

Mark 1:16-18 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Notice their response to the call. AT ONCE (immediately, without hesitation) they responded. They didn’t debate or have a discussion about it, they responded “AT ONCE.” How did they respond? Not aimlessly or meandering, not half way. They did two things: They left and they followed. They didn’t drag their nets with them, they left them. But they could have sold those nets and made some extra change that would have come in handy right? No, they left them, they left their old means of provision, their safety and their old way of life. They followed HIM. Immediately they left their stuff and they followed Him, intentionally stepping out in faith.

They also left their old identity. They were fisherman and Jesus called them to a new life, making them fishers of people. He called them away from something and called them to something. He even went as far as to tell them that. They knew when they accepted the call that it meant a new/different life and they intentionally made the choice and then walked in that choice.

What is the Lord calling you away from? What is He calling you to? Even if you are currently serving Him, He may be asking you to walk away from a safe bet to step out in faith. He may be calling you to a new way of thinking, a new way of doing, a new way of everything. This year don’t let the months slip by, be intentional to follow the call of Jesus. Ask the Lord to hold you accountable so that you are not lazy about it. You may also want to ask someone you trust to hold you accountable as well. We humans have a tendency to take the easy road sometimes so we need accountability, and that is why we have each other.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Ephesians 4:15-16 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Jesus, help me to be intentional in my walk with you. Help me to walk away from the things that keep me from you or take up time that you want me to use for you. Show me what you are calling me to and help me to walk in that. Thank you for my brothers and sisters in Christ and help us to be an encouragement to each other. Thank you for your love and patience but also thank you for the power that you give us through the Holy Spirit that allows us to change.