It behooves us to make Jesus Christ the most important person in our life because He is Lord of all — and He says we’re acceptable, adequate, valuable, and forgivable. If you’re a follower of Christ, let this message penetrate your soul. If you’ve never opened your heart and life to Jesus, why not do it today?
How can we live lives of true gladness; of real happiness, joy, and optimism? I think I can reduce it down to one word: attitude. God will not make us glad, happy, or joyful. Though joy (a deep, abiding peace) is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), it too can be sabotaged because, like happiness, joy depends on the conscious choice we make in response to our circumstances.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
Frankly, most of us are average, modestly gifted lovers of the Lord, kingdom servants who come and go almost without notice, at least in a public way. Sometimes it’s discouraging when we see extraordinarily gifted, charismatic, extroverted, winsome personalities who, are touted as godly, giants of the faith, and kingdom greats! Don’t misunderstand me: Some of God’s giants have been/are phenomenal, shining, powerful, and profound workers for the Lord. But let’s not forget this: Gifts have little if anything to do with godliness; godliness is a choice, not a conferral!
David, mighty in faith and deed, was nonetheless much like any one of us; a human being with precisely the same needs, desires, and weaknesses we all share. As we emulate him, the theme of Psalm 25 will come to pass in our lives: Those who fear the LORD will be led by the LORD!
People were created to have fellowship with God; but because of our stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion [defying God] or passive indifference [I don’t know — and I don’t really care], is what the Bible calls sin.