Get up and follow

I want to share two thoughts this week….both related.

In Matthew 9:9 Jesus calls Matthew to follow him. The text says that Matthew “got up” and followed. The Greek root of “got up” is the same as for “resurrection”. If you like, when Matthew “gets up” he steps into resurrection life. As he responds to Jesus’ call on his life he is stepping into the new life…the resurrection life, that Jesus has for him.

And that’s the same for each of us.

As we respond to Jesus’ calling of us, we are increasingly stepping into…experiencing…the resurrection life.

Hold that thought and stick with me…

Have you thought recently what the purpose of the Christian life is? Of what God wants to do with you? To you?

Might sound like a weird question.

But Romans 8:29 tells us. God wants to “conform us to the image of his Son”. That means that God wants to make us…to grow us…more like Jesus. God wants to so deal with sin and brokenness in our lives that we become more fully human…more like we were created to be. More like Jesus.

And I think we know that this doesn’t happen overnight…it’s a process…a journey.

God grows us as follow Jesus.

I’m reading a book at the moment (Invitation to a Journey, by Robert Mulholland) which is all about how we grow as disciples.

One quote from the book is this:

The Christian journey, therefore, is an intentional and continual commitment to a lifelong process of growth towards wholeness in Christ.

Pause and consider those words.

Growth happens on a journey.

Intentionally…

Continually…

Committing…

…to the journey.

Put another way, growth happens as we embrace Jesus. As we respond to Jesus. Receive Jesus. Believe in Jesus. Follow Jesus.

Or, growth happens as we hear Jesus call each day and, like Matthew, “get up” and follow.

So, are you hearing Jesus calling you in any way right now? Calling you to leave any pattern of behaviour behind? To leave a certain attitude? Or calling you TO something?

Because, when Jesus calls you…he’s calling you to experience more of His resurrection life…He’s calling you to trust Him….to follow Him into the life He has for you.