There is a truly transformative power in following Jesus. Your whole inner world shifts. Desires, moral compass, energy, the changed life of a person is one of the greatest testimonies to Christianity. It’s not even because of a program or a set of rules.
It’s An Inside-Out Change
When we turn from our old life—repent—and just follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins to clean out the crud after we are saved. I’ll go deeper into the theology in the next post, today is an example of the change.
It’s not trying to be virtuous insomuch as becoming virtuous, good for goodness’ sake. All by just getting as close to Jesus as possible as your leader. You want to do as he does.
A Realization
I’m a creature of routines and habits. You can almost set a clock by me, and people have. My old routines that I used to follow daily, and annually, I forgot to even watch for them. 2016 passed before I knew it.
The hunting seasons I looked forward to snuck up on me. It’s an afterthought now, wondering if I can fit it in. You make time and prioritize what’s important to you. It’s how you can really know who or what someone lives for.
I do wish I could fit more in. That time would slow down so I could. My weekends are even more packed than before. It was JKD on Saturday and church on Sunday morning. Now, it’s more helping, more people, and for an introvert like me, I have to take time to recharge so I can do more.
The Shift
My desires changed. The drives are still there, but, I really don’t want to do much more than I am now. I’m happy where I am at.
Ministries are weighed by who’s available to help and who needs the help to avoid burnout. I still take time for myself. There are off days built in. A few of the old loves are still there, some muted, some as bright as ever. Some new ones too, like new friends and my ‘kids’.
It’s Not Life+Jesus
Here’s the deal, it is a near singular focus on Jesus. John the Baptist said that Jesus ‘must increase, 
and I must decrease.’ It sounds hard, but it’s been an easier surrender than I imagined. I’ve seen what happens when I run the show. It’s not pretty.
It’s Jesus+Life. He’s not your copilot as this comic from Adam4D puts it.
Is There A Balance?
Our identity, the one that cannot be taken away, is in Christ. When you’re saved, God doesn’t “see” everything you did anymore. He sees Jesus when He looks at you, and begins work to transform you to be more like him. The application is wherever you go or whatever you do, you’re taking Jesus there, and being an example of Jesus in the world.
A Ronin's Journey 