Who's footsteps are we following?

I find myself caring too much about what people think of me. Why do I do that? It doesn't matter what people think of me. The only thing that matters is what God thinks of me. That I am doing what God wants me to do. That I am living a life for him. Why should anything else matter?

I know all of this but I don't live like this. It's so easy to get caught up in the drama and attractiveness of this world. This world offers immediate pleasures. Things that make me feel good now. It just seems so easy.

But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:48

I am certainly not perfect. But how can I be perfect if I don't even try. Jesus came and lived on earth as an example for us. He showed us how we're supposed to live and that it is possible to be perfect. In Philippians it says that "He made himself nothing, he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form" (2:7). By doing that he became just like you and me. All the miracles he performed were not by Godly power but by the power of the Holy Spirit that we all have inside of us. The only difference is that we don't take advantage of that power. But WHY NOT? We have the power of Christ inside of us and we don't do anything with it! We all have the power to save the world! Why don't we take advantage of this power?

We're afraid. Afraid that we might look stupid. What would your secular friends think if one day you said to them, "I'm going to go save the world in the name of Jesus Christ"? They might respond saying something sarcastically like, "Goodluck with that!" To everyone else we would just look like lunatics. We're afraid of looking like lunatics so we don't even try.

But what if we did try? What if we didn't care that we looked like lunatics? What if we believed that by the power of Jesus Christ we could save the nations? And what if we went out and did just that? Would your friends still think you're a lunatic?

You are the light of the world - like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:14-16

We're afraid that just maybe nothing will happen. What if we don't see any differences in any lives? What if it's all for nothing? If we believe that nothing would happen if we trusted the Lord and went and did his work in the world then we have no faith. For in Luke it says that "Even if you had faith as small as a mustart seed...you could say to this mulberry tree, 'May God uproot you and throw you into the sea,' and it would obey you!" (17:6).

All we need is faith the size of a mustard seed and we can access the same power that Jesus had and used when he lived here on earth! So what are we waiting for? Let's take ahold of this power and use it to do God's work in the world! Within our friend groups! At our churches and schools!

Isn't it cool to think that God doesn't need us to do his work? He could do all of this by himself. He doesn't need us to do anything for him. But he chose to use us! He wants to use us! Isn't that amazing? The God of the universe wants to use YOU to do his work in this world! That's gotta be better then anything else the world can offer you.