Christian Clothing Company To Follow Him

From all appearances, entertainers and celebrities have the perfect life. They have thousands upon thousands of adoring fans. They get to do the live out the passion for entertainment whether it’s acting, dancing, singing, or some other form of entertainment. They make boatloads of money. They travel the world. They’re living the perfect life, right? At least that’s what I used to think. But then I read article after article of an entertainer who has overdosed on drugs, or committed suicide, or gone bankrupt. And I have to wonder, what are they lacking? What is it about their life that is so unsatisfying that it leads to some of the most catastrophic outcomes one can imagine?

And then it hit me. It’s hard for the rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Now, I didn’t say it. Jesus did. If you follow the Bible even a little bit, you’ve heard the story of Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler. For all intents and purposes, his life seemed perfect. To outsiders looking in, he lacked nothing. But even he knew that wasn’t true. He knew something was missing inside and so he went to Jesus.

When each of us takes a look in the mirror, if we’re being honest, we know something is missing. We know the image of perfection that we try to give off is a fallacy so we must do something about it. If you’re ready to take that leap, here’s what the Bible tells us to do.

Find Jesus

In Mark 10:17-23 (NIV), the rich young ruler had searched Jesus out and when he found him, he ran up to him and fell on his knees in front of him. I’m not quite sure what he expected from the encounter with Jesus but he asked a pretty bold question. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus tells him what he should do: “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”

Now, at this point, this young man is feeling pretty good about himself. “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. Aren’t we like that sometimes. We know something is missing so we run to find Jesus. Maybe we ask someone to teach us the scriptures. Or maybe we just go to church and listen to a message. And the only thing we hear are the things we’re doing right.

“One thing you lack,” Jesus said. Lack? You mean I’m really not perfect after all. You see, when you find Jesus, don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to. Jesus will tell you what you lack. Once you find out, you may not like it. The question then is what will you do?

Do What He Says

Like entertainers and celebrities who place their value in their riches, the rich young ruler “went away sad because he had great wealth.” If you are unwilling to do what Jesus says, you will walk away. Some people walk away sad, some angry, some afraid, some defiant. And they walk back to a life without meaning or hope.

But for those who choose to embrace His teaching, they now find value in their imperfection. They can look at the areas that are lacking and can begin to make the changes that will draw them closer to God and closer to the perfect life they used to hunger and thirst for. There is no longer shame in their hearts, but gratitude instead.

They are grateful they found Jesus. They are grateful He told them what to do. They are grateful their hearts were soft enough to receive and be obedient to his instruction. They embrace their imperfections and are confident as they strive toward perfection through the power of the cross of Jesus Christ. Unlike the rich young ruler, unlike entertainers and celebrities, they do not have to walk away sad.

Memorize: Mark 10:27 NIV “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’”

Application: What was your first encounter with Jesus like? What are the imperfections he revealed to you? In what ways are you striving towards perfection in Christ? What are three areas you would like to see changed over the course of the next year? Who do you have in your life to hold you accountable?