- Sep 29, 2018
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I’ve been walking with Lord for four decades now and I have to admit I still have a lot of work to do. My ultimate goal is to live my life for Jesus, walking in His footsteps, following His teaching, and helping others to do the same. Unfortunately, there are many distractions in my life that can leave me disconnected from Jesus in some way. Moments of anger, selfishness, greed, lust, and impatience occasionally push their way into my life in an attempt to move me off in the wrong direction. These negative impulses are hard to avoid. The world we live in is far from perfect and we all have to do battle with the forces of evil that have infiltrated many aspects of our lives. Our only hope is our connection to Jesus. “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Jesus is the source of everything good in our lives.
We Have an Enemy
As followers of Jesus, we have to be aware of the manipulation of the devil. We have the power to outsmart and overcome the devil if we maintain our connection to Jesus; however, the devil never stops trying to make us stumble. The Bible tells us that the devil is working with an army of evil spirits that can influence individuals and turn them into disrupters of our faith. “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1) This battle between good and evil will continue until the return of Jesus. For this reason, we have to stay on our toes and be ready to counter-punch Satan’s army every time an attack is sent our way. No one is immune from these attempts to disconnect us from Jesus. Every aspect of our lives is a potential target, and we have to seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit before making any decisions that are not clearly following the teachings of Jesus.
Three Ways to Connect
Fortunately, there are many ways for us to connect with Jesus. First and foremost, is the Bible. We all came to know Jesus through the pages of the Bible. It doesn’t matter if you read the Bible on your own, or you were taught the truth found in the Bible by a trusted teacher; in both cases it is the Bible that connects you to Jesus. We keep that connection alive by continuing to read the Bible or by continuing to seek out guidance from providers of Biblical truth. Secondly, we connect with Jesus by following His instruction. When we serve God by serving others, as Jesus taught, we are instantly energized by the power of love that is the driving force behind all of His instruction. And finally, we are connected to Jesus when we share in fellowship with other believers. Like batteries connected together to increase their power, believers connected together generate great benefits for each other. It doesn’t matter if we connect one-on-one, in small groups, or in an entire congregation at Sunday worship. When believers are together physically and spiritually, there is always a direct connection to Jesus.
Doing God’s Work
The more connections we make with Jesus, the more opportunity we have to help others connect as well. God created us to connect with Jesus and follow His teaching. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) The more we connect with Jesus the less opportunity the devil and his evil spirits will have to invade our lives. When we are busy doing God’s work, there will be no time for negativity; all those useless emotions will be overwhelmed by the love that fills our hearts through our connection to Jesus. Following the teachings of Jesus is how we walk with Jesus and there can be no greater connection than having him by our side every step of the way.
Stay Connected
We have to be diligent in our lives to avoid the devil’s distractions. The stress of work, school, raising a family, or trying to keep our head above water financially, can easily disrupt our connection to Jesus. We have to keep this in mind as we go about our day and be aware of any potential distractions. When any negative emotion starts to erupt, seek wisdom from the Holy Spirit to guide you back toward Jesus. Whenever you have a chance, seek guidance from the Bible. Serve God by serving others at every opportunity. Set aside time for fellowship with other believers. These are the simple to follow steps needed to maintain our spiritual connection to Jesus. When you keep your life focused on accomplishing this goal, you will be blessed.
We Have an Enemy
As followers of Jesus, we have to be aware of the manipulation of the devil. We have the power to outsmart and overcome the devil if we maintain our connection to Jesus; however, the devil never stops trying to make us stumble. The Bible tells us that the devil is working with an army of evil spirits that can influence individuals and turn them into disrupters of our faith. “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1) This battle between good and evil will continue until the return of Jesus. For this reason, we have to stay on our toes and be ready to counter-punch Satan’s army every time an attack is sent our way. No one is immune from these attempts to disconnect us from Jesus. Every aspect of our lives is a potential target, and we have to seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit before making any decisions that are not clearly following the teachings of Jesus.
Three Ways to Connect
Fortunately, there are many ways for us to connect with Jesus. First and foremost, is the Bible. We all came to know Jesus through the pages of the Bible. It doesn’t matter if you read the Bible on your own, or you were taught the truth found in the Bible by a trusted teacher; in both cases it is the Bible that connects you to Jesus. We keep that connection alive by continuing to read the Bible or by continuing to seek out guidance from providers of Biblical truth. Secondly, we connect with Jesus by following His instruction. When we serve God by serving others, as Jesus taught, we are instantly energized by the power of love that is the driving force behind all of His instruction. And finally, we are connected to Jesus when we share in fellowship with other believers. Like batteries connected together to increase their power, believers connected together generate great benefits for each other. It doesn’t matter if we connect one-on-one, in small groups, or in an entire congregation at Sunday worship. When believers are together physically and spiritually, there is always a direct connection to Jesus.
Doing God’s Work
The more connections we make with Jesus, the more opportunity we have to help others connect as well. God created us to connect with Jesus and follow His teaching. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) The more we connect with Jesus the less opportunity the devil and his evil spirits will have to invade our lives. When we are busy doing God’s work, there will be no time for negativity; all those useless emotions will be overwhelmed by the love that fills our hearts through our connection to Jesus. Following the teachings of Jesus is how we walk with Jesus and there can be no greater connection than having him by our side every step of the way.
Stay Connected
We have to be diligent in our lives to avoid the devil’s distractions. The stress of work, school, raising a family, or trying to keep our head above water financially, can easily disrupt our connection to Jesus. We have to keep this in mind as we go about our day and be aware of any potential distractions. When any negative emotion starts to erupt, seek wisdom from the Holy Spirit to guide you back toward Jesus. Whenever you have a chance, seek guidance from the Bible. Serve God by serving others at every opportunity. Set aside time for fellowship with other believers. These are the simple to follow steps needed to maintain our spiritual connection to Jesus. When you keep your life focused on accomplishing this goal, you will be blessed.
