One of the motivations for making New Year’s resolutions is that you can measure whether your life is fulfilling or not. When we see improvements in areas such as finances and health (including spiritual, emotional, and mental health), we can believe that we are living a good life. However, by making New Year’s resolutions without any consideration of God’s plan for our lives, we are living our lives on our own terms rather than surrendering our lives to Christ.
The Bible is full of stories of people who gave up everything they knew, including social success, a steady income, and a position in the family business, to follow Jesus. They had no idea where they were going or what they were doing. All they knew was that Jesus was offering them new life and they could decide whether to accept it or not. But all the stories of people in the Bible were called to do something for God. Noah was asked to build an ark. Moses was asked to lead the people through the desert for 40 years. The disciples were asked to follow Jesus. All of these people lived lives outside of God’s calling until they heard God’s voice and made the choice to be obedient to that calling or continue their lives in safety and worldly happiness. However, it is believed that these Biblical characters were successful because of their obedience to God.
As Christians, we should measure our lives based on the same principles. Are we careful to discern God’s voice in our lives and be obedient to it? Or do you ignore it for the sake of worldly happiness and security?
I have endured many hardships in my life. When I was 20, my parents kicked me out of the house because I had converted from Catholicism to Born-Again Christianity. I had to completely abandon the old life I once knew and choose to follow Jesus, trusting that He would meet my every need. After we got married, my husband and I followed God’s call on our lives and served in the church for 23 years. No matter what the next chapter brings, I want to be a person who is obedient to God, not someone who ignores His voice and chooses money, security, and stability.
Here’s how I learned to measure my life based on obedience rather than worldly success.
I calculated the cost
The Bible gives an example of calculating costs: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Why don’t you sit down and estimate whether you have enough money to finish it? For if you cannot lay the foundation and finish it, all who see it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This man began to build, but was not able to finish…In the same way, he who does not give up all that he has cannot be my disciple’ (Luke). 14:28-30;
The Bible tells us to step out in faith even after we have calculated what it means for us to follow Christ. That being said, practicing faith requires exercising wisdom to know if a decision is from God. Every time God has called me to take a risk, I have made great sacrifices. I lost my relationships, my home, my job, etc. Still, I consider my life successful because I have always taken steps of faith, believing that God will meet my every need. What is the price you will pay when God asks you to be obedient to His call? God’s calling usually comes at some cost. It may be our reputation, work, home, or even important family relationships. The steps we take toward obedience in our lives are worth the price. What we may lose in worldly possessions and popularity, we will gain in intimacy with God.
took a big risk
I was asked to take a big risk. These risks included losing people and property that were very important to me. But God asked me to risk these things and gave me an even greater reward as a result. God promises to never leave us and to meet our every need. How many times have we been willing to take risks for God when we measure our lives in obedience? Were the rewards greater when you took the risk?
Big risk means big reward. However, that reward may not appear in this world. For example, if you claim the truth against an evil boss, the reward may not be to keep your job. But God is with us. He promises not to leave us during our trials. We must believe that God is in control and sees everything we do, even if we don’t see the reward.
I heard God’s voice and obeyed.
Obedience to God’s voice is a spiritual discipline that must be learned. When I first became a Christian, I had no idea how God spoke. I only thought he spoke through the Word of God. But as I matured in my faith, I realized that God spoke to me in many different ways. God has also spoken to me through other people, visions, intuition, pictures, and words of knowledge. If we want to achieve intimacy with Christ, we must learn to discern the voice of the Father. In order to be obedient to God and follow what He asks of us, we also need to discern what God is saying. When you think you hear something from God, test it against God’s Word. Is it consistent with the Bible? If not, throw it away. It is our own fleshly desire to do what we want. If you hear something and aren’t sure if it is consistent with the Bible, test it with a mature follower of Christ. We all should have a mature person we can ask for advice and wise counsel. Let those we trust speak into our lives and tell us whether what we hear is from God or from ourselves.
To live a truly successful life, we must learn to obey God’s voice. In order to follow what God is asking of us, we must calculate the cost and understand that doing what God is asking us to do can involve great risks. Therefore, in order to fulfill our calling, we may move away from home, end relationships, or give up a life of luxury and fall into poverty. However, when we approach the end of our lives, we will be able to call ourselves successful because we were obedient to what God commanded us to do. And it’s a life worth living.
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Michelle S. Lazurek is an award-winning multi-genre author, speaker, pastor’s wife, and mother. She is a literary agent with Wordwise Media Services and host of The Spiritual Reset podcast. Her new children’s book, Hall of Faith, encourages children to understand that God can be trusted. When I’m not working, I enjoy drinking Starbucks lattes, collecting 80’s memorabilia, and spending time with my family and dog. For more information, please visit her website www.michellelazurek.com.
