We Are Responsible To The Lord
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)
As Jesus’ time on the cross was running out, He noticed His mother, as well as one of His disciples standing nearby. As any good son would do, Jesus commanded His disciple, John, to take care of His mother after He passed away. Don’t miss how John responded to Jesus’ command. The text tells us, “From that time on, this disciple took her into his home” (John 19:27).
John didn’t hesitate to follow Jesus’ orders. He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t try to negotiate. He didn’t tell Jesus He would consider it. No, he responded with immediate and unconditional obedience. We could all learn something from John’s response in this story.
How many times has God clearly asked or commanded you to do something, but instead of obeying, you end up delaying? You hesitate. You’re reluctant. You don’t think you’re the right person for the job, so you ask God to reassign the responsibility He’s so clearly trying to give you. It’s easy to delay obedience when we don’t understand why God is asking us to do something, but we must remember that as followers of Christ, we are responsible to the Lord.
Hudson Taylor, the man who started the China Inland Mission, said it best when he wrote these words about being responsible to God: “Let us give up our work, our thoughts, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our influence, our all right into his hands and then, when we have given it all over to him, there will be nothing left for us to be troubled about or to make trouble about.”
Let’s take Hudson’s advice and live our lives in full surrender to God. When He gives us a command, let’s respond with the same immediate and unconditional obedience as John did. Let’s live in a way that clearly portrays the fact that we are responsible to the Lord.
As Jesus’ time on the cross was running out, He noticed His mother, as well as one of His disciples standing nearby. As any good son would do, Jesus commanded His disciple, John, to take care of His mother after He passed away. Don’t miss how John responded to Jesus’ command. The text tells us, “From that time on, this disciple took her into his home” (John 19:27).
John didn’t hesitate to follow Jesus’ orders. He didn’t ask questions. He didn’t try to negotiate. He didn’t tell Jesus He would consider it. No, he responded with immediate and unconditional obedience. We could all learn something from John’s response in this story.
How many times has God clearly asked or commanded you to do something, but instead of obeying, you end up delaying? You hesitate. You’re reluctant. You don’t think you’re the right person for the job, so you ask God to reassign the responsibility He’s so clearly trying to give you. It’s easy to delay obedience when we don’t understand why God is asking us to do something, but we must remember that as followers of Christ, we are responsible to the Lord.
Hudson Taylor, the man who started the China Inland Mission, said it best when he wrote these words about being responsible to God: “Let us give up our work, our thoughts, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our influence, our all right into his hands and then, when we have given it all over to him, there will be nothing left for us to be troubled about or to make trouble about.”
Let’s take Hudson’s advice and live our lives in full surrender to God. When He gives us a command, let’s respond with the same immediate and unconditional obedience as John did. Let’s live in a way that clearly portrays the fact that we are responsible to the Lord.
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3 Comments
AMEN!!
“Let us give up our work, our thoughts, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our influence, our all right into his hands and then, when we have given it all over to him, there will be nothing left for us to be troubled about or to make trouble about.” Do it.
I have surrendered my life to Jesus. May I be a willing servant for Him