Work Day Inspiration: Are you worthy of Christ?

TGIF's Word

Are you worthy of Christ?

Matt 10:34-39

We often think about what Christ can do for us but we seldom speak about our worthiness to Christ. We often love the feel good message that God is love (1 John 4:8) and he loves everyone (John 3:16) but we should recognize that we have a responsibility in our relationship with Christ.

Those responsibilities are similar to what we have in any of our other relationships. Every relationship has rules and boundaries. We love people every day that we are not in relationship with but may still love them. God can love us but not know us (Matt 7:21-23) and if he does not know us we will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. He will not claim us if we are not in relationship with him. We want Christ to be in relationship with us and not love us from a distance. We want a personal, intimate relationship with Christ. We want to hide under his shadow of protection (Psa 17:8). We want to find refuge and strength in Christ (Psa 46:1 & 91:2).

If we only seek God when we need something we are not in relationship with him. If we only pray out of routine and we never meditate to hear from Jesus, we are not in relationship. If we put our parents or our children before Christ we are not in relationship. A relationship is being connected by blood or marriage. It comes from the root word related. I would say Christ is connected to us both ways. The opposite of relationship is no connection, no bond, no relation. What is connecting us to Christ? Jesus has stipulations to be in relation with him.

Matthew 10:36-38

And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

To be in relation with Christ we need to love him enough to follow him wherever he leads.

Jesus is not our sugar daddy. Jesus is our father and he has a requirement of us. Some of us find the concept difficult to grasp. We find it difficult to love The Lord more than our parents or our children. We find it difficult to love the Lord more than we love ourselves. We love and will follow and obey those who can only provide superficial gratification. Yet, the one who can provide, protect, guide, love, give peace, wisdom, understanding, and joy, we struggle with loving him. Jesus said his yolk is easy and his burden is light (Matt 11:30).

We were created to love him. We were created to live for him. When we are doing anything contrary we are operating below our potential and therefore, we are living a less than fruitful life. When we experience a true relationship with Christ there is nothing and no one that can compare. All the money in the world cannot not compare to the love of Christ. His love provides peace that money or pills cannot provide. His love provides protection that is better than armed forces. Relationship with Jesus provides joy that is unexplainable.

If you are not experiencing Joy in Jesus consider a relationship with him today. If your relationship with Jesus has suffered a setback please consider recalibrating your relationship today. Establish a relationship where Jesus is your source and everything and everyone else is a resource.