Today, we explore the life of Jesus as our ultimate role model in living a meaningful and fulfilling life. We discuss how his clear sense of purpose guided his actions and decisions, allowing him to focus on serving others rather than seeking personal comfort. The episode highlights the importance of establishing a strong foundation in faith, which enables us to navigate life's challenges with confidence. By looking closely at Jesus' life, we can learn to prioritize our own callings and say no to distractions that divert us from our paths. Join us as we reflect on how to align our lives with God's purpose, ensuring that we can look back with satisfaction at the end of our journeys.

Takeaways:

1. In this episode, we emphasize the importance of Jesus as a role model for living a significant and fulfilling life.
2. We discuss how faith in Jesus Christ serves as the foundation for meaningful repentance and transformation.
3. The episode highlights the necessity of having a clear sense of purpose and calling in life.
4. We explore how Jesus' ability to say no helped him maintain focus on his mission.
5. Listeners are encouraged to spend time in prayer to align their lives with God's purpose.
6. We conclude by stating that finishing the work God has given us is crucial for honoring Him.

Links referenced in this episode:

1. www.bible805.com

Hi. Welcome to the Hobo Soul podcast of road advice from the Bible. And from me, Yvon Prehn, someone who's a little further down the road of life.

I'll talk to you every weekday for about five to 10 minutes, with periodic longer talks on serious Saturdays. Let's get started with our topic today,

Episode number 22, Jesus our example for Life.

We benefit from great role models, and there's none better than Jesus.

In today's episode, we'll look at how he can help us live a satisfying and significant life.

Our quote for today comes from Ezra Taft Benson, who said,

"Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which sincere and meaningful repentance can be built. If we truly seek to put away sin, we we must first look to him who is the author of our salvation."

Challenge for today

There's no better challenge than the simple statement, first look to him, look closely, look continually look without wavering, at every aspect of his life. And then, as his apprentice, work hard to imitate him in every aspect of your life.

Now here's my commentary on this quote and challenge

To flesh out the challenge of what it means to look at Jesus, we will look at his life, and then I'll make some suggestions on how you can reflect some of the most meaningful things in your own. Now we look at him through the first four books of the New Testament. These are what are sometimes called the Gospels.

And basically these are the biographies of Jesus.

It spells it out really clearly where it says, "for even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."

That term to give his life as a ransom for many, sums up his realization that he fulfilled and was fulfilling in his life millennia of promises in the Bible of a coming savior who would pay the price required for our sins so that we could be at peace with God.

A lot of people are familiar with John 3:16, where it says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

But a lot of people don't realize that Jesus is actually the one who said that about Himself.

And then he went on to say, "But God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

He came to be Savior of the world.

And the miracles that he did were a preview of the final salvation he would bring about with his death and resurrection.

His identity as Savior, his focus on what was required to do that, was the North Star, the guiding light of his life.

And he always kept that in focus. The rest of his life flowed from that clear focus in including some characteristics that we might want to copy in our lives.

For example, he knew how to say no in one instance. Things were going really well for him. Healings were taking place. People were responding well.

As Mark tells us, Jesus had been healing and casting out demons in a town, and the people were looking for him. But when his disciples found him, they said, everyone's looking for you. In other words, they wanted him to stay there a little bit longer.

They liked what he was doing. It could have been a comfortable rest for him and for the disciples. But Jesus, he said no.

He said, no, let's go on to the next towns, for that's why I came. Jesus knew that his life's purpose was larger than staying in a comfortable ministry situation. So he moved on.

He said no at lots of other times also, including oftentimes he wouldn't answer people if he knew they were trying to trick him. Sometimes he'd ask them questions, sometimes he'd just walk away.

He didn't always meet the expectations of his family. One time his mother and brothers came to take him home because they felt like he was doing just, you know, maybe too many sort of crazy things. But he said, no, no, I'm not going to let you do that now.

Saying no to the people we love or walking away from people who want you to stay, they're not evil things to do. But Jesus said no because that wasn't what his purpose required him to do. And he got the strength to do that.

We find from a verse, actually, that's just a little bit for the one describing him leaving the village where it says there in Mark again, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place where he prayed."

Jesus stayed in close touch with his Father. He spent time with God in prayer. And he knew from that when to say yes and when to say no.

We see this pattern of him talking over everything with God in prayer, spending extended times of prayer with God talking to him before he does miracles, before he does different things. All of this to make sure that he's living his life, aligned with God's purposes for his life.

And because of that constant alignment, he could say at the end of his Life in John 17:4 "I brought you (speaking to God) honor upon earth. I've completed the task you've given me to do."

Completing the task God gave him to do. What an incredible thing to be able to say at the end of your life. The importance of a clear calling and focus in your life is key to being able to say that at the end of your life.

It is the key also to a satisfying and significant life. Now, you've got to get that first.

If you don't have that North Star to guide you, if you don't know what your calling and focus is, you'll always be floundering around, trying this, doing that. You won't know what to say no to, or even what to say yes to with confidence in your life.

Now, having said that, I realize that floundering around is where many people are. Now.

That might be okay early in life when you're trying out different options in life, but if you're beyond college age and you want to really have it all together in your life and family, and you might even from the outside show that you have. But inside, if you feel like you're floundering in your soul, it's never too late for a course correction.

Paul got one in midlife when Jesus interrupted him and turned him from a persecutor of Christians to the chief evangelist of the faith.

Moses at age 80, may have contemplated quiet years ahead watching his grandchildren. 40 years in the desert would have a way of quieting dreams, and he may have long forgotten trying to do great things for God. But one day a bush was burning and God called him to change the destiny of a nation.

You might not get a personal vision of Jesus or burning bush to change your life, but if you spend time with him, asking him, honestly, praying, asking, what does he want you to do? You never know. Miracles do still occur.

But regardless of how you focus your life and clarify your calling, wherever you are, whatever age you are, whatever situation you're in, take time to do it. And then, like Jesus did, spend daily time with your God and bravely say no to all that detracts you from following him closely.

And the result will be at the end of your life, you can confidently know that you brought honor to God by finishing the work he gave you to do.

That's all for this podcast, for transcripts, links to related material, and much more to help you learn to know, trust, apply and teach the Bible, go to www.bible805.com for now, let me end with this benediction and prayer.

May you walk each day surrounded by the gracious love of the Father, guided by the gentle wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and conscious of the astoundingly real presence of Jesus, who will walk with you until you're no more a hollow soul, no more a transient wandering heart, but at home in the kingdom prepared for you with your God forever. Amen.