One principle I found when looking at the life of Jesus is that he stayed connected with the Father. That may sound simple and obvious, but it’s amazing how quickly we lose sight of it in day-to-day ministry. Especially those of us who plan well can begin relying on the plan more than relying on the Father. If we’re going to live incarnationally in the world around us, we’re going to need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus by staying connected with the Father like he did.
Take some time today and check out some of the passages below. I especially appreciate the clear connection Jesus makes in Matt. 15 between our actions and the state of our heart.
- Jesus took time to pray and connect with God the Father (Mark 1:35).
- Jesus carved out time to be alone and to reflect when he needed it (Matt 14:23).
- Jesus understood that we must cultivate our hearts because that’s where our words and actions flow from (Matt 15:1-20, Luke 6:44-45, Gal 5:22).
- Jesus internalized the scriptures (Matt 22:29, 37-40).