December 8

Following Leads to Honor

If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. — John 12:26 BSB

The highest form of service is imitation. If I want to be a servant of Christ, I must follow Him. To live as Jesus did is the best way to bring honor to His name. Let me remember this every day.

If I imitate Jesus, I’ll have His company; if I am like Him, I will be with Him. In time, He will bring me to live with Him in heaven if, in the meantime, I have followed Him faithfully here on earth. After His suffering, Jesus ascended to His throne, and in the same way, after we have endured with Him here, we will share in His glory. The outcome of Jesus’ life will be the outcome of ours: if we share in His humiliation, we will also share in His glory. So, come on, my soul! Take courage and walk in the blood-marked footprints your Lord has left for you.

Let me not forget that the Father will honor those who follow His Son. If He sees me living faithfully for Jesus, He will place marks of favor and honor upon me for His Son’s sake. No honor can compare to this. The honors given by princes and rulers are nothing more than shadows; the true substance of glory comes from the Father. So, my soul, cling to Jesus more closely than ever.