May 25, 2013 … My Goal Today

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 145

Passage of the Day: John 12: 24 [In the context of verses 24-26] [NLT] …
24The truth is, a kernel of wheat must be planted in the soil. Unless it dies it will be alone—a single seed. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.  25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them. 
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Contextual Study for today’s passage: John, Chapter 12 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Luke 9: 23 : [Yes, again!] …[NLT] …  
23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow Me."

My Journal for Today: If you took a recorder out on the street and stopped people, who called themselves, “Christians,” asking them, “What’s your goal today?” … how many of them do you think would answer “Death?” Probably not too many, right?

But if you’ve read the highlight passage above, a word from Jesus, Himself, … the answer Jesus would be looking for if He was holding that microphone, looking for our main goal as a Christian, would be for His disciples to answer something along the lines, “My goal for today is to die to myself and to follow You, Lord!” Would that be your answer?

I can remember a long time ago I got hooked up with a Christian mentor; and on our first meeting, the retired physician, an Elder in my church, asked me, “Bill, what’s your main goal as a Christian?” And I didn’t really have an answer to the question; so he clarified the question further by asking me; “What are you going to do today that will make you a better Christian man?” And again I didn’t know how to answer; so he showed me a chain of discipleship which gave me the answer to those questions, … which I would give if you were to ask me today, “What’s your goal today as a Christian?”

He asked me if I wanted to be blessed by God, … to which I, of course, answered in the affirmative. Well, he then said, that God only blesses those who know Him; and he went on to teach me this chain of discipleship. He said, “To know God is to love God; … to love God is to obey God; … to obey God is to serve God; … and to serve God is to be blessed by God.” So, … my mentor showed me that the first and preeminent goal of every Christian, who desired to be blessed by God, would be to know God more today than the Christian knew Him yesterday and to know our Lord even more tomorrow than we, as a disciple of Christ, knew Him today.

So, if you were to ask me, what my main goal was as a Christian would be today, in the context of Jesus’ teaching above and what I’m bringing to the discussion today, I would say that it is my primary goal to … “die to myself and to know my God more today than I knew Him yesterday … and even more tomorrow than today!” Because the more I’m willing to die to myself and to know my God, I will live in Him and for Him more; and in doing that obediently, the more I will be blessed by my God.

That’s the reason why I’m here right now doing what I’m doing, … getting to know my Lord more today than I did yesterday; and I’ll be here tomorrow, getting to know Him more tomorrow then than I did today. And as I know Him more abidingly, I will love Him more intimately; and as I love Him more intensely, I will die to myself and obey Him more readily; … and as I serve Him more obediently, that will allow Him to bless me more than ever before.

So, how about it, Christian? What’s YOUR main goal today?

My Prayer for Today … Lord, help me to know You more today than yesterday … more tomorrow than today. … Amen