Following Jesus Isn't Another Thing to Do

it actually frees up the schedule

Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash

Following Jesus doesn't necessarily mean adding more things to our already busy schedule. It's not like a hobby that we squeeze in somewhere. It's also not like an 8 to 5 job that takes up most of our day. Nor do I think it's like maintaining a relationship with aged parents or trying to iron out a strained relationship or even keeping up an enjoyable long-distance relationship. Although, don't get me wrong, following Jesus is a relationship and a job. It's just not separate from all our other relationships or jobs. It happens simultaneously, in the midst of all the other things we do.

Yes, followers of Jesus take time to read the Bible and talk to God. But, that Bible-reading and prayer just helps us maintain the different way we do all our ordinary day-to-day things. It teaches us to do our ordinary things with a different mindset and heart-set and body-set. It's like a God-code for deciphering life. We get our code from our God-talking and Bible-reading, and then we hold up our code to every circumstance to see what it means to God. 

Or it's like a daily increase of muscle and brain capacity that makes everything we do easier. We're able to lift things we once couldn't. We're able to figure out difficult problems that used to overwhelm us. And we're able to sense undercurrents in people and situations that we'd previously been oblivious to. 

Yes, following Jesus adds something to our lives. It makes everything easier. It gives us God-tools to use in our routines, commutes and emails, in fixing meals and doing the bills, attending meetings and encounters with our children, parents, or spouses. Now we have abilities above and beyond what we ever thought we could have. And this can make even an overloaded schedule manageable.