Unite Your Life with Jesus

Ben CerulloBy Ben Cerullo5 Minutes

I love the old hymn that says, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” I’m convinced this is God’s objective for you today: to impact the world by being “happy in Jesus.”

But it’s crucial to understand that the Christian life cannot be lived by studying what Jesus did and trying to duplicate it in your own strength. Rather than just being a script to read and act out, the Christian life is actually uniting your life with Christ’s … to draw near to your Savior. And it can only happen through the power of the Holy Spirit.

That’s why Paul makes the amazing statement, “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). Jesus doesn’t just give us life, He IS our life! In fact, Paul says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

Jesus is the lover of our souls, and He wants us to respond to that love by cultivating an intimate relationship with Him. The dictionary defines intimate as “informal warmth or privacy and marked by a warm friendship developing through long association.” No one else will have a relationship with Jesus just like yours, but we’re all promised that He will draw near to us when we make a commitment to draw near to Him (James 4:8).

There’s not a formula for having a unique, profound personal relationship with Jesus, but the Bible gives us patterns and examples to follow:

1. Regularly enter God’s presence.
Just as with any earthly relationship, you must spend time with the Lord. The more you draw close to Him and hear His heartbeat, the deeper your love for Him will become. The Bible reveals the way to do this: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4 NIV). Worship is a necessary daily habit!

2. Develop a heart of devotion.
God-honoring, Christ-centered, Spirit-led worship always involves expressions of gratitude, awe, and devotion. Like the angels in Heaven, true worshipers will have lives that declare, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power” (Revelation 4:11). Worship from our lips is merely the outward evidence of our inward devotion and passionate love for Christ.

3. Honor the Lord 24/7.
For many people, worship is confined to singing praise songs or hymns during a church service. But it’s meant to be SO much more than that. The Bible tells us, “Whatever you do, do ALL to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). This means our love for Jesus should be visible in every encounter we have and in every activity we engage in.

4. Hang out with others who are passionate for Jesus.
It’s important to fellowship with people who share our love for the Lord. Jesus promised us, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). And as Hebrews 10:24 reminds us, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Nurturing relationships with fellow believers is a vital ingredient for our spiritual growth and effectiveness.

My friend, I pray that your relationship with Jesus grows richer, deeper, and stronger every day. He passionately loves you – as shown by His death on the cross. Choose today to draw near to Jesus and cultivate a passionate love for the Savior of your soul.