Thank God You're Following Jesus!
I thank God you are following Jesus! You opened your heart to Him, you are living in your new identity as a new creation in Christ, and you gave control of your life over to the Master. You have just built a solid spiritual foundation and are now ready to start growing as a believer. I suggest that your first step will be to open your heart and look at your life as God sees you. God is Truth and sees you as you truly are. Your new perspective and your new way of looking at life, should be based on Truth.
If you are open to Truth then you should be honest with yourself. Do what it takes to obey God's Word with all your heart and strength. Be open to hear and to do what the Spirit of God tells you. Put down your pride and allow others to speak Truth into your life. This means that you will be open to teaching, correction, and even rebuke, if and when, it's necessary.
If you are open to Truth then you should be honest before God. There will be times when you sin. When that happens, admit you sinned, ask the Lord to forgive you, and then act in a manner that honors Christ. The Bible says that God knows your thoughts before you even think them and that He alone can judge the motives of a person's heart. So, why would you try to hide your sin from Him or think He does not know what you are doing? It is in your best interest to be honest before God.
If you are open to Truth, then you should be honest with others. You should speak the Truth in love and speak words which build up and not tear down. You should treat others as you want to be treated. You should give honor where honor is due and seek to be a blessing to others. The Holy Spirit will let you know when you treat someone in a way that does not honor Christ. When you do, ask for forgiveness of God and, if necessary, the other person. Then act in a manner that reflects the love of Christ in you.
Please let me tell you in advance that being honest with yourself, God, and others is the best action you can take. You may receive a negative reaction in the short term however, your honesty will honor Christ and bring you blessings later. If you allow pride and stubbornness to overcome you then you will invite more trouble and you will be entangled in a web of sin. Living in Truth is the best road you can take.
Living in Truth also means that God's promises are for you. God said He will never leave you or forsake you. In all things, God works together for the good of those who love Him. He can do immeasurably more than you can even ask or think. Our help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth. There are many, many more promises that you can apply to your life. The devil is as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He will lie to you and try to rob you of your joy of serving God. In those moments, you can rebuke him and reject his lies. You can then remember the promises given to you in God's Word and thrive in the hope that only God can give.
So, where do you start? You start changing your perspective to Truth. Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' As you travel life's journey, I pray you will walk in God's truth. As you do you will find it a light for your path.
