Walking out the will of God is not a glamorous thing it is a smelly thing! Death stinks, every part of your being wants to avoid death at all costs but without death there can be no life.
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. John 12:24-26
The will of God for Jesus was to only do what He saw the Father doing and to only say what He heard the Father saying and then to die for the world. He did it for the joy set before Him, He was motivated by love for people and the joy of seeing people get set free and live in His kingdom. He had compassion for the crowds of people He saw because they were harassed and were like sheep without a shepherd. His entire life and death were an expression of the love of God for the whole world.
I recently had a revelation when I was praying that God didn’t just die for me. I know that sounds obvious, but in the Christian circles I have walked in the emphasis is on personal salvation, “if you were the only person in the world then Jesus would have died for you”. That may be true but I am not the only person in the world and Jesus died for everyone so that none would perish!
So why do I live as if it’s all about me? Why don’t I have the same compassion for the lost sheep as Jesus has? Could it be that I need to die to my own selfish desires and return to the first love that I had when I was radically born again by the Holy Spirit? I was excited about sharing my faith!
Just as Jesus didn’t die for ‘just me’ He hasn’t called ‘just me’ to share His love. He has given the commission for making disciples of all nations to His church, to His body and everyone has a part to play. As we make this our focus again and unite around this cause: the joy of the Lord will be our strength and there will be much rejoicing in heaven.
We can turn the smell of death into the fragrance of life.
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