May 20

“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.” —JOHN 12:26

We are only effective in Christian living when we are working in union with Christ and following in step with Him, which does not involve adhering to any particular method, program or system. Neither does it mean we copy Jesus and hope we’ve done the right thing. Jesus is in us, leading the way and His invitation is to, “Come, follow Me”. The result of that, says Jesus, is that “where I am, my servant also will be.”

We may think it’s easier to follow a program or methodology because we’ll know what to expect, but chances are we’ll get bored and lose interest as it will simply become routine. That’s not what God intended the Christian life to be. The Christian life is lived in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ in which we become sensitive to what He is doing, and join Him in accomplishing His objectives. Far from being routine, it’s an exhilarating life, filled with promise.

When we’re on Christ’s agenda, each new day brings a fresh anticipation of His outworking in our lives. We are energized, motivated and alert to opportunities He sets before us. As we learn to keep in step with Jesus, acknowledging Him in all our ways, He promises to direct our steps, and not just for the long haul, but in our everyday lives. That may take us anywhere; the grocery store, the bus stop, a baseball game, or home, school, work, social events. We don’t know where or when, but God will always lead us to where He can use us. Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:37).

The key to bearing fruit for Jesus is to become in tune with Him, so that we’ll learn to recognize opportunity when we see it, and be willing to act. We cannot operate effectively independently of Christ as there is no agenda outside of His that is valid or fruitful. This is a fundamental part of the Gospel – we are brought into union with Christ so that He may be at work in us and through us. It’s not a program, but a living, dynamic relationship with Christ.

PRAYER: Thank You, Jesus, for being the One to lead the way. I want to be where You are, and ask that you keep me vigilant to every opportunity You give me to serve You.

TO REFLECT UPON: Am I watchful of an opportunity to serve Christ wherever I am?