A life lived for Christ is full of riches that I don’t deserve. It is full of joy, peace, and grace. It grants me access to my Heavenly Father, my Provider, and the one who fights for me. It gives me a family, a body of believers to lean on and grow with. It gives me a confidence that God is working all things together for my good and a hope for my future.

But none of this is the reason that I serve Jesus. I don’t serve Jesus because of what He gives me or how He makes me feel, though I praise Him for both. It is not His provision that motivates me either. I follow Jesus because I was dead in my sin, buried under the shame, regret, and chains of it all, and Jesus redeemed me from the consequences of my own choices. I follow Jesus because He alone gave me life where death ruled.

So while my Savior gives me abundant life that overflows with His goodness, I worship Him with the knowledge that He alone gives life. Often the world will offer cheap substitutes, fleeting feelings that only mimic the abundant life that Christ gives.

It offers happiness in place of joy. Distraction in place of peace. Wealth in place of God’s provision. Attention or fame in place of the fellowship of believers. But really it’s only offering chains in place of God’s freedom. It’s only offering death in place of the life Christ gives.

And as hard as the world tries, it can never mimic the life that Jesus gives in place of death. The world may “support” you when you look successful by their standards, but only Jesus will find you when you’re broken, lying dead in your sin, and pay the price to give you life.

So as for me and my house, we follow Jesus. We follow the one who gave us life when we were dead.