Unboxed: Changed Foreverਨਮੂਨਾ

Have you ever stopped and thought about what a brief summary of Jesus’ life would sound like? Maybe like this: He was a single guy from a small town. He mentored a small group of men and frustrated some religious teachers, so they had him killed on a cross. But all along, that was God’s plan. Three days later, Jesus breathed again. That guy from a small town was God in human form. He lived and died without the approval of his neighbors or leaders because he loves you, and his father called him to do it. Then he rose from the dead so that you could be transformed through his Holy Spirit to live for him.

So now, Christians are to follow Jesus. It’s not about gaining the approval of people, having the most friends, or being the most popular. It’s about glorifying or honoring God and living the way we were created to live in his image. We are called to love God with all of our hearts and to love the people around us – even people the world says are less than. Loving others won’t always make you popular. Sometimes, it means doing and saying hard things, even when the rest of the world thinks it’s strange. It certainly got Jesus into trouble! But our approval and identity depend on Christ, not on the world.

Reflection Questions:

• How do your day-to-day actions say that you are seeking the world’s approval or God’s? What will you do to seek God’s approval first this week?
• What can you do to love your family, classmates, and even your enemies as God loves them today?