We have a tendency to put things in our lives into categories. And it can be a helpful way to go through life. But sometimes we think that following Jesus is just another category of our lives instead our entire life focus.

Think about it. When you think of following Jesus, you might think about things like going to church, reading your Bible, praying, serving others, or worshiping. And those are definitely a part of it! 

But what if following Jesus is way more than that list of things we think about? If Jesus is who He says He is, then wouldn’t it make sense for our whole lives to be about following Him?

What if our everyday lives, our ordinary routines, and our normal decisions are more spiritual than we think? What if we allowed the God of the universe to be not only a part of our lives but an integral part of our day? 

Jesus came as Immanuel—God With Us. Jesus is with us every second, and the Holy Spirit lives within us! Knowing that informs the way we go about our days and the way we live our lives, and it makes following Jesus so incredibly exciting. 

To follow Jesus fully is to realize that every single thing we do matters and is an opportunity for us to be set apart.

Imagine if we were truly known for being the hardest workers, the most excellent neighbors, the kindest friends, the most patient people just by the way we worked and lived our lives. We have the opportunity to do that when we realize that following Jesus isn’t just about following Him at church but also about how we live our lives the rest of the week. 

Check out what Romans 12:1-2 MSG says about that: 

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out…

Living out your faith doesn’t just mean following spiritual disciplines. It means using those disciplines to fuel you into a life that shows people who Jesus is because of how you live. 

So, what if following Jesus is more than you think? Imagine what might happen when we start living out our faith in ordinary ways every day. 

If you’ve liked this Bible Plan, you’ll love the podcast that goes with it. Learn more about the You’ve Heard It Said podcast available any where you listen to podcasts.

Study Further:

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:15-21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
‭‭John‬ ‭13:34-35‬ ‭NLT‬‬