YOU’LL LEARN TO LIVE FREELY AND LIGHTLY

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”   Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

No Halfway Measures?

Last week I was reading through my journal and noticed a note in my handwriting at the bottom of an otherwise blank page that said, “There can be no halfway measures in following Jesus.”  It was from a sermon where I had my notes paper clipped inside the journal and I obviously had felt I needed to add this line by hand in the space underneath so I remembered say it.

I thought it sounded like a very trite thing to say; something a more judgmental preacher than I hope to be (who likes to guilt people into being “real disciples”) might say.  I have followed Jesus half heartedly plenty of times.  Who am I kidding?

But then Jesus reminded me, “Following halfway means you are not following anymore.”  You lost sight of the leader.  You got distracted.  You got tired.  You wandered off.

Are you following or not?

To follow Jesus is to “keep company with” him.  That’s really all it means.  We don’t have to be perfect or motivated or anything else other than “with” him.  You can’t be halfway “with” someone.

If I am with him, I will learn to live as he does, “freely and lightly”.  Would you characterize your life as free or light?  If you are living under a cloud of indebted and overcommitted, maybe you lost sight of the leader.

We are starting a new series at Mountain View looking at Jesus’ teaching and lifestyle.  If you missed our last series on “Hearing God’s Voice” you can WATCH OR LISTEN HERE.