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But what kind of person was he? According to all the data we have, he was a sage, a wise man, a trustable teacher. That is, he was neither deceiver nor deceived; neither an immoral, selfish, lying conniver nor a sincere but naive, out-of-touch, insane idiot. He made an almost unbelievable claim: He was God. But he was a believable person. To those who met him, this was the fundamental challenge: They had either to believe his almost unbelievable claim or disbelieve his very believable person.
–Peter Kreeft

Have you investigated the claims and character of Jesus?
Have you found out that He is exactly who He said He was?
And if He is who He claimed to be – Lord of all – will you serve Him well today?

By every human standard of reckoning, the cross was a waste — the waste of a young life, a prophet’s influence, and a leader’s potential. We know the secret of its meaning and achievement only from God’s own statements. Similarly, the Christian’s guided life may appear as a waste — as with Paul, spending years in prison because he followed God’s guidance to Jerusalem, when he might otherwise have been evangelizing Europe the whole time. Nor does God always tell us the why and wherefore of the frustrations and losses which are part and parcel of the guided life. Sooner or later, God’s guidance, which brings us out of darkness into light, will also bring us out of light into darkness. It is part of the way of the cross.
–J. I. Packer

Wherever God has guided you to right now, know that the experiences you will have there are not a waste. Even in areas of difficulty you will find that Jesus is there to help you grow in trust and faith and love for Him.

As Walter Wink puts it, “The contagion of holiness overcomes the contagion of uncleanness.” In short, Jesus moved the emphasis from God’s holiness (exclusive) to God’s mercy (inclusive). Instead of the message “No undesirables allowed,” he proclaimed, “In God’s kingdom there are no undesirables.”
–Philip Yancey

And if that is the case, it is our responsibility to take God’s same view – removing all prejudice, bias, and judgment that puts anyone in a “lower” category than ourselves. In fact, the Scripture tells us that we are to put ourselves in the lowest position: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.”

Tough to do.
Yet commanded by God.

Father, help me to see others through Your eyes and love them with Your compassion.

Insulated Western Christianity is waking from the dreamworld that being a Christian is normal or safe. More and more, true Christianity is becoming what it was as the beginning: foolish and dangerous. “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (1 Cor. 1:23).
–John Piper

I hope that you are struggling with God regarding how to live foolishly and dangerously for Him – holding loosely to the things of this world while holding so very tightly onto Him.

Too often we find that we have chosen the opposite – a continued hope and prayer for our safety and blessings and comfort over our radical obedience, no matter the cost, to the Great Commission. I am so glad that so many before us were willing to live dangerously for their belief in Christ. And I pray that God will continue to help me see how to live in radical obedience to His Word, not focused on myself and my insignificant kingdom that will end when I die, but rather that I focus solely on building us His eternal Kingdom.

…in the flesh I keep the law of sin, obeying sensuality rather than reason. Therefore, the desire to do good is present in me, but how to accomplish it, I know not how. I often propose many good things, but because the grace to help my weakness is lacking, I recoil and give up at the slightest resistance. Thus it is that I know the way of perfection and see clearly enough how I ought to act, but because I am pressed down by the weight of my own corruption I do not rise to more perfect things.

How extremely necessary to me, O Lord, Your grace is to begin any good deed, to carry it on and bring it to completion! For without grace I can do nothing, but with its strength I can do all things in You. …Let Your grace, therefore, go before me and follow me, O Lord, and make me always intent upon good works, through Jesus Christ, Your Son.
–Thomas à Kempis