How do you know that you are a disciple of Jesus?

Most of my life has been an attempt at pleasing people through my actions. I would make time for a Christian schedule but not time to study God’s Word. I would spend more time worrying about how to impress other Christians than I would actually praying for them. My time was spent reaching out to receive instead of looking up to Jesus for guidance on how to best glorify Him. The anxiety and stress that came with this left me with a choice. I could shrink into my shallow routines or live boldly because of who Jesus is. I no longer waited to be told what to read in God’s Word or to feel ready to spend time with Him. I talked to Jesus in the middle of seemingly
impossible moments of hopelessness and heartbreak. Reaching out to be seen and heard is a natural part of life but it is where we go that is life-changing.
“Casting all your anxieties on Him for He cares for you.”
– 1 Peter 5:7

1 Peter 5:7 is not a message to invalidate fears and worries. It is a reminder of direction. When life gets very real and you feel surrounded by uncertainties, where do you go? Who do you call first?

God is available at all times and somehow I still find myself running to my phone to find solutions to problems only He can fix. Waiting until I had a plan for my problems before I presented them to Jesus kept me juggling burdens I was never meant to even pick up. Most of what I was carrying was not even mine; those worries belonged to God. I took responsibility to hold something that was designed for His hands. Giving the heaviest things to Jesus is something that I am still learning to do. I know that with open hands of surrender I can recognize what I am to steward in my life and who I need to reach out to.
Choosing to acknowledge God in my life changes the way I view the challenges I face and respond to the blessings I receive.
Life can be messy, unpredictable, and for most people, chaotic. Responding to the intense moments in life by intentionally running to Jesus creates peace that is not determined by circumstances. This could be prayer in a bathroom stall when everything gets too loud, five minutes of worship in a car before clocking back into work, or allowing yourself to break after trying to keep others around you hopeful. There is no perfect place or time to spend with Jesus. He does not only live in the four walls of a church building. He does not require us to have the “right time” to meet with Him. Surrender to Christ changes our perspective on relationships,
challenges, plans, and victories. Letting go of the expectation that our situation has to change before we surrender to Jesus changes the way we respond to hardships. It gives us the freedom to approach God and the confidence to know He will use every broken piece for His glory.
There are many ways to demonstrate that we are believers in Jesus. We go to church on Sunday, wear a cross necklace, rush to do all the Christian trends, and fill our social media with perfectly angled photos of our Bible journaling. The focus shifts from honoring God to promoting our own works.
“And Jesus came and said to them, Go therefore…’ ”
– Matthew 28:18-19a ESV
‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
This commission is rooted in the authority of Jesus as the Lord of all. He is the keeper of our best and worst days and the caring Shepherd of all the details in between. Our identity should not be dependent on what we do to show others that we are the “good Christian girl.”

Christ is sufficient for everything we need. Forgetting to anchor our lives in Jesus will have us stuck in burnout, striving for validation, and placing our confidence in our actions.
We mistake performance as proof of a life surrendered to Him. When we allow Christ to be the center of our time, talents, and treasures, He produces good fruit in every season of life. He is not limited by what we assume is ruined. God works in our hearts and shows up for the best things of life and watches over our darkest moments. We have to be willing to stay in His presence in the high and low moments of life, return to Him with a
repentant heart, and be strengthened by His grace.
“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the
Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”
– John 15:8-9 ESV

John 15 explains that we cannot produce fruit without remaining in Christ. As God’s children, we can trust Him to take away what is not beneficial to our relationship with Him, so that He can establish us more in His grace and root us deeper in His love. God cares deeply about our heart change, not just a change in aesthetic or lifestyle. He is always present in details of our devotion, the center of our worship, and the result of our sacrifice. He cares about the parts of us that are hidden and meant to be holy. Confidence as a disciple of Christ is developed as you personally get to know His character.
When you seek Jesus in moments of desperation as much as you do in moments of stillness, He becomes the anchor that holds you steady in life.
A disciple of Jesus is always learning to live:
fully loved
rooted in peace
growing in patience
built by kindness
resting in goodness because of His faithfulness, held with gentleness, standing with self-control for the joy of the Gospel.

Jesus in moments of desperation as much as you do in moments of stillness, He becomes the anchor that holds you steady in life. A disciple of Jesus is always learning to live:fully loved rooted in peace growing in patience built by kindness resting in goodness because of His faithfulness held with gentleness standing with self-control for the joy of the Gospel.