Footsteps of Jesus

Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong.  Do everything in love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (CSB)

At first, this short passage is easy to take lightly. But if you want to be truly committed to Jesus, then these five imperatives will become our daily glad ambition.

Be alert.

So, what should we be alert to? Well, the verse below is a good place to start. Being alert as a devoted believer means to

• be aware of the presence of the Spirit in your life to teach you God’s word
• let the Spirit guide you away from temptation and sin
• have vision to know God’s will for your life
• watch for opportunities to share the Gospel
• meet practical needs of others

Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

1 Peter 5:8 (CSB)

Be sober-minded, be alert.

Be Firm in the faith.

Here are a few steps to knowing if you are firm in the faith.

• Read God’s Word, pray daily, attend a trustworthy church and be faithful to your relationship with God.
• Know what you believe and why.
• Practice your statement of faith when you are alone, or better yet, get with someone who shares your belief in Jesus. Practice together. Be sure that you know how to answer anyone who asks about Gospel.
• Don’t attend any church that teaches even one errant thing about the Gospel. These churches can be led by pastors who are not saved. Powerhungry people in the church can also be a danger. If they teach anything except the Gospel of Christ and unmerited salvation, then it is time to go.
• If you have doubts about your salvation, find a trustworthy pastor or friend to search the scripture for God’s truth.

…stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.

Philippians 4:1 (CSB)

stand firm

Be courageous.

This one can be hard. For one thing, many believers don’t think of themselves as cowards. Some are certainly not cowards and have given themselves completely in service to Christ. But just daily living can entice us to cowardice.

Courage is more than just being willing to face persecution for Christ.

• Courage is always telling the truth no matter the cost to yourself.
• Courage is being obedient to Jesus and His Gospel even when you are tired, alone, or afraid.
• Courage is doing the right thing when it would be easier to take short cuts.
• Courage is speaking up when the crowd is against you.
• Courage is following the path God shows you in your life decisions when it leads you away from ease.

“Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 (CSB)

Be Courageous

Be strong.

That one almost sounds like courage doesn’t it. But let’s see.

• Being strong means finding out that your strength to be Christ-like comes from God’s mighty power alive in you.
• Being strong means to endure all things for the sake of the Gospel. Not just hardships and fears. But monotonies, unknowns, poverty, wealth, sickness, good health, pushing back against sin and temptation and much more.
• Being strong means facing spiritual battles and overcoming by God’s powerful Word.
• Being strong means being joyful (not always happy) when you feel defeated or discouraged. Joy is knowing that no matter how tired, scared, frustrated or sad you may be, your peace in salvation is certain.
• There’s so much more to be said about being strong. But the only way it makes sense for a believer is when our full faith and trust rests on Jesus.

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.

Ephesians 6:10 (CSB)

Be strong with a servant’s heart, like Jesus

Do everything in love.

This one sounds easy. But when you really think about what everything means you will understand that it isn’t easy.

So, what does everything look like for you and me?

Simply, anything that God has placed in your life to do should be done as an act of love and devotion for Him.

Examples may be these:

• Reading your Bible passage for the day out loud.
• Going to work when you are so tired.
• Sharing your lunch with a friend.
• Making your children’s bed even though you’ve asked them to and they keep forgetting.
• Speaking up for someone who can’t speak up for themselves.
• Teach.
• Don’t complain.

Did you know that every good thing that comes from a believer’s heart is really coming from the Spirit of God? We are giving God’s love back to Him. Think about it. The human heart is not inherently good. And when we perform our daily tasks with a generous heart and with devotion to the smallest details, we are giving our best love to God. Likewise, when we complain or react badly, we are giving that to God as well.

The verse below should make us think. Why would we give God less than our best-His own Love.

The Lord your God is among you,
a warrior who saves.
He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will be quiet in his love.
He will delight in you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17 (CSB)

Everything in love

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.