People try all kinds of approaches and tactics to establish themselves in better ways . . . who they are, what they do, how they are perceived, etc. Being established helps people live their daily lives. And in the first months of a new year, this topic is still on people’s minds. Maybe it’s on your mind.
What have you done to establish yourself?
Good News
What does it mean to be “established?” The dictionary defines establish as a process to:
- Institute something permanently by enactment or agreement.
- Bring into existence, to make firm or stable.
- Put on a firm basis or into a favorable position.
- Gain full recognition or acceptance of.
I have some good news. You don’t have to establish yourself alone. Jesus is the one who establishes you, but He invites you into His work. Because He knows you inside-out, He helps you know which action steps to take. Your cooperation (the work that only you can do) with His intentional influence and intervention of your heart (the work that only He can do) establishes your daily choices. He works. You work. It’s a partnership.
God loves you! He is very invested in your life from a purely loving position. God gives your life eternal purpose and influence to affect the human timeline for His glory. In other words, He has given you a platform on which to live out your role for His Kingdom. God builds you into His plans and gives you a stable place of value. Further, from His own heart, He approves your work to be valid. Jesus accepts and recognizes you. He installs you and settles you in. Jesus is an establisher.
The Lord does all this by His gospel. He is saturated with hope. It’s the kind of hope you can apply to every issue of your life. The only way you miss His hope is if you fall into unbelief or deception. If you jump into the pool of unbelief, not only do you become deceived; you also miss His power in your life. And you miss His intimate companionship. This is also the pool of loneliness.
The Way Has Been Opened to Establish Yourself
Jesus has opened so much access for a Christian to live in fellowship with God. So much was revealed in the past through the prophets and the Law . . . but even greater things are revealed through Jesus. Because Jesus is the God-man, He is very much like you and very much like God. He can completely identify with you. He stands beside and with you in your life. Jesus also understands God completely and represents Him exactly. (Heb. 1:3) This is God’s plan – that you should know Christ intimately and live in fellowship with Him, established in His power to live your daily life with purpose, peace, and joy.
Why did God go to so much trouble to establish you?
First of all, God truly loves you. But there’s more. He wants you to join Him in reaching others all over the world. The tiny Christmas baby, the grown sinless Sacrifice, the resurrected universal King – that’s who wants to establish you. He establishes everyone who trusts Him, so you have a really good shot at this! Just trust Him!
As He faithfully, lovingly, and wisely works in individual lives – in your life – He also establishes His Kingdom on earth. He shares the leadership load with you. You become His valuable partner. His co-worker. Companion. This begins to eliminate the “lonely factor” that is so common to people.
Since He is the same yesterday, today, and forever – Jesus is the only wise God. (Heb. 13:8)
The Apostle Paul talks about this establishing process for his own journey. I encourage you to read Romans 16:25-27.
Good Questions
Have you let Jesus be your Establisher? He is eager to do this wonderful work in you. Jesus is loving, kind, and powerful. Do you believe Jesus is all He claims to be? Are you establishing yourself in Him by partnering through action steps with His work in your heart?
Perhaps more critical questions you need to answer are these – are you establish-able? Have you set your heart on pleasing God? Are you teachable? Humble? Honest? Open? Will you trust Jesus to do great things in and through you?
Why not live your life established in God? You can become a strategic thinker on God’s chess board of life. Why not take full advantage of the opportunities you’ve been given? Please, accept God’s invitation: On the chess board God has set up for you – It’s your move. * Why not become increasingly established in Christ by doing what only you can do as He does what only He can do?
* Much of this article is taken from It’s Your Move: Strategies in Thinking From Romans. Order your copy today!
