The trombone is said to be one of the hardest musical instruments to play. It requires buzzing lips, a great amount of air, and manual dexterity (to move the slide in the proper position for each note). When I was in high school, I played this challenging instrument. Now that I am in my forties, I am making a valid attempt to reclaim some of my tromboning skills. I know where each note is position-wise (for example, E-flat is in third position) and how to arrange music by transposing from one key to another. The problem lies in actually making a clean, crisp sound on the trombone. For a while, it seemed that I was making progress. But one day while I was playing, my trombone sounded like a dying goose. I scratched my head and wondered why I wasn’t playing well. Then, it dawned on me that I hadn’t practiced in days. Who would have thought that lack of practice would lead to a flat performance. Apparently, I didn’t.
In Luke 9:23 (NRSV), Jesus says, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Our initial commitment to follow Jesus Christ began on the day we accepted Him as Lord and Savior. So, what does Jesus mean when He tells us to take up our cross daily? He means that we must be fully committed to Him every day. Partially committing our lives to Him will not make us lose our salvation, but it will stifle our relationship with Him.
So, what can we do to fully commit our lives to Jesus Christ. I believe the following practices will assist us in becoming everyday Christians.
Psalm 9:1a (NKJV) I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart.
Psalm 28:7b (NKJV) [W]ith my song I will praise Him.
Praising the Lord should not just be a Sunday morning affair. We should find time in our hectic schedule to praise Him.
Prayer, love, service, and praise are simply four ways that we can be daily disciples of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to find other ways. May God richly bless you each and every day.
In Luke 9:23 (NRSV), Jesus says, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Our initial commitment to follow Jesus Christ began on the day we accepted Him as Lord and Savior. So, what does Jesus mean when He tells us to take up our cross daily? He means that we must be fully committed to Him every day. Partially committing our lives to Him will not make us lose our salvation, but it will stifle our relationship with Him.
So, what can we do to fully commit our lives to Jesus Christ. I believe the following practices will assist us in becoming everyday Christians.
- Prayer. In Luke 18:1 (NKJV), Jesus reminds us that we “always ought to pray and not lose heart.” The Apostle Paul restates this commandment in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV), “Pray without ceasing.” Even if we are not actively praying about a situation, we can be in an attitude of prayer. We can pray our fellow Christians, our non-Christian friends, and even ourselves.
- Love. Numerous times throughout the New Testament, we are commanded to love others. Jesus states in Matthew 22:37, 39 (NLT), “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind…[and]…[l]ove your neighbor as yourself.”
- Service. Serving the Lord with gladness and enthusiasm (Psalm 100:2, Romans 12:11) should be a top priority. But, how do we serve our Lord Jesus Christ? In John 13:1 – 17 (NKJV), Jesus serves His disciples by washing their feet. In verse 12, He asks, “Do you know what I have done to you?” The disciples are bewildered and really do not know how to respond. Jesus continues, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (v. 14). The Apostle Paul states in Galatians 5:13 (NKJV), “[T]hrough love, serve one another.” It is in serving others that we serve our Lord Jesus Christ best.
- Praise. The verb translated from the Hebrew for praise literally means “to worship with extended hands”. Praising the Lord gives Him the honor He fully deserves. There are numerous verses in the Psalms that pertain to praising the Lord.
Psalm 9:1a (NKJV) I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart.
Psalm 28:7b (NKJV) [W]ith my song I will praise Him.
Praising the Lord should not just be a Sunday morning affair. We should find time in our hectic schedule to praise Him.
Prayer, love, service, and praise are simply four ways that we can be daily disciples of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to find other ways. May God richly bless you each and every day.