RELIGION —
How shall I relate to Jesus? That may be the most important question you will ever answer. There are several options. You can relate to him by admiring him as a great teacher. He was indeed one of the wisest men of all time. You may gain wisdom by studying what he said.
You can relate to him by believing he was a great prophet. He was himself the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies and most of his own prophecies have been fulfilled.
You may admire Jesus as the supreme example of how to live. He actually did several things as an example of how he wanted his disciples to live. You would surely live a nobler life if you based all your decisions on “What would Jesus do?” Diligently following the example of Jesus would make you a finer person and a blessing to others.
Study the New Testament and you will discover that the best option for relating to Jesus is to worship him as your Lord and Savior. To do so is to go beyond admiring him as a great teacher or prophet and example. Authentic worship of Jesus begins when you believe he was sent by his Father to die on the cross for your sins, that God raised him from the dead and that by surrendering your life to him, you will receive forgiveness of your sins and the assurance of eternal salvation. When you decide to let Jesus control your life, he begins changing you into a person who lives and acts like Jesus. That is the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
Everything changes when you begin worshiping Jesus. Life is gloriously new. Light and joy displace darkness and sadness. The more you worship Jesus, the more you feel like singing instead of complaining. You are thrilled to realize you have been saved by grace so you can honor Jesus the rest of your life. Your life suddenly has new meaning.
Worship Jesus and you realize he needs you. Yes, even you! He needs you on his team. He needs your smile, joy, skills, resources, witness and influence. How remarkable is that — to think that the God who created the heavens and the earth needs you. He has the power to do all things himself, but that is not his plan. He wants you to partner with him by sharing the good news that by worshiping Jesus his disciples can change the world. When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he rode on a donkey. That reminds us that in the business of King Jesus, there are no insignificant places of service. If he could use a humble donkey, he can use you. Worship him. Let him use you. Praise him for using you even in the smallest of ways. As you worship Jesus, your heart will overflow with joy in the service of others because that is the best way to relate to your Lord and Savior.
