Following Jesus, Part 5: The Joy of Discipleship

"However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20)

Jesus teaches His followers that their greatest and most enduring joy must be anchored in God's acceptance. We should not rejoice over our accomplishments as much as we should rejoice over His. It is the fact that we are accepted by God, in Jesus and because of what Jesus accomplished, that should make our lives meaningful. As followers of Jesus, we are in God's Fav Five, we are God's friends on His Facebook home page, we are loved and valued by God.
Anchoring our joy in God's acceptance delivers us from such heavy burdens as pride, insecurity and pretense. Assurance of His love and acceptance brings us such wonderful gifts as humility, confidence and authenticity. As we stop seeking validation through success and focus on the gospel of God's acceptance in Jesus, we will be empowered to accomplish even greater things. We will discover who we really are and pursue what we are really meant to do. We will do all that without the fear of rejection and failure, since our identity will be protected in Christ. G.K. Chesterton said that angels can fly because they can take themselves lightly. So can we accomplish greater things if we anchor our joy in God's acceptance in Jesus.