Our Invitation to Learn of the Savior

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to young children. Yes, Father, for to do so was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father except the Son and anyone whom the Son wants to reveal him. Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to carry and my burden is light.
~ Matthew 11:25-30, LEB ~

The invitation to Come unto Christ and follow Him requires our willingness to accept the invitation to learn from Him the gospel principles and spiritual truths needed. It also requires absolute humility and surrender of all things in order for us to deny ourselves and take up our cross every day as true disciples. To learn from the Savior means we are willing to submit ourselves over to His care and will for our own lives and well-being. It is how we come to live a meaningful and mindful crucified Christian life. Without this – we are not ready to receive those revelations and spiritual truths to help us find rest for our souls.

And this invitation to come unto Christ and follow Him is the foundation of all spiritual truths that applies to all – whether an individual is new to the covenant path of righteousness and discipleship, one who has walked the path all their lives, or those who have fallen to the wayside and are returning back to the covenant path of righteousness. It is the very invitation the Savior gave the rich young ruler (cf. Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-27; and Luke 18:18-23). The principle truth we are to take away and apply in our own lives (as the rich young ruler) is this: Being a true disciple of Jesus Christ is one of great cost because it means giving our whole souls to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. How we grow spiritually is learning to identify what we are lacking. What necessary changes need to be made, and how to seek to follow Christ in faithful obedience.

Our invitation to not only answer the question What seek ye? It is also an invitation for us to strive to comprehend what we learn from the Savior’s teachings. And how to apply what we learn from the Savior into our own personal lives. Because no true learning is complete if there is no real application of those thing learned. And since learning from the Savior requires each one of us to take necessary action on our part – we are not fully able to grow spiritually unless we live out what the Savior has taught.

Consider the following:

And where do we find this spiritual principle? Matthew 18:1-5; Mark 9:33-37; and Luke 9:46-48 where the Savior responded to the disciple’s inquiry about who is the greatest in the Kingdom of God. How do we apply this in our own lives? Well, first, we must turn away from our own way of thinking. Second, we come to realize the symbolism of a child as it relates to the spiritual principle of humility.

A mindful and crucified Christian life is one where a person realizes their own personal dependence and reliance on Christ and our Heavenly Father. And since this requires a change in our own personal attitude and putting to death our own pride and ego in order to become humble and willing to serve.

Since learning requires us to become humble, open and teachable, it also requires us to understand that it is a process. Hence the reason we don’t just learn from the Savior – we do exactly what the Savior taught by applying it in our lives and living it out daily. Without application – we are not growing in spirit and truth. If we are not growing spiritually by applying Gospel principles into our own lives, we are not bearing any true fruit. And if we are not bearing any true fruit – we may find ourselves withering away with the cares, anxieties, and worries of this world.

Learning to Become True Disciples of Jesus Christ

When we come to learn from the Divine Master – Jesus Christ – we go beyond mere simple belief. True disciples of the Savior learn of His teachings through faithful devotion and strive to live out those teachings. Devoting one’s life through spiritual disciplines. What are we to learn of the Savior? How are we to follow faithfully His teachings?

It starts by disciplining our own thoughts by denying ourselves of those thoughts and beliefs that are contrary to Christ’s teachings. It is to adopt new thoughts and beliefs that are uplifting and motivating toward righteous behavior and living. And there are ways we discipline our minds and thoughts. First and foremost is meditating on scripture. Developing and enhancing personal scripture study gives us an opportunity to also memorize passages of scripture to reflect on and ponder throughout the day. Secondly, to fill our minds with those things that inspire, uplift, and allows us to personally reflect on. Third, memorizing and singing hymns, songs that are faith promoting and inspiring. Fourth, we engage in contemplative prayer and fasting as we continue to seek the will of our Heavenly Father. And finally, it is to minister unto others as we learn how Christ had ministered to those around Him.

Learning from the Savior Takes Commitment and Fortitude

The cost of discipleship requires a great deal of commitment and fortitude. It is through our personal commitment of learning from the Savior, applying those teachings into our own personal lives, where we learn more about who we are. It also opens us up to receive personal revelation and direction where we discover the means of salvation that seemed hidden from us. And what is the cost of our personal devotion and commitment to Christ? It is the practice and spiritual discipline of self-denial and self-sacrifice whereby we make an absolute commitment to Follow Him.

It is our conscious choice of seeking our Heavenly Father’s will over our own individual will. A voluntary personal sacrifice we are invited to lay hold upon and willingly submit ourselves to engage and endure. It is a paradox of losing our lives so that we may gain our life through Jesus Christ. It is the cost of giving all that we have, rendering it useless and unproductive, so that there is no stumbling block preventing us from coming unto Him and following Him. It is when we are willing to commit our lives over to His care by leaving behind old allegiances to the life, we desire for ourselves, to include any self-interests and desires, so that we are aligning ourselves unto Christ and the new way of living.

Learning from the Savior takes commitment and fortitude to move from a self-centered life toward a Christ-centered life gains salvation and eternal life. Whereas, maintaining a way of living out a self-centered life ultimately leads toward losing out on those inherent blessings of eternal life that is afforded through Christ’s infinite atonement. It is our personal question of how do we gain eternal life? Are we willing to give full allegiance through commitment and fortitude to come unto Christ and follow Him?

Hence, when we desire to learn from the Savior – the cost is upon us to crucify our old self, the natural man, so that we may live by spirit and truth through Jesus Christ.

Learning from the Savior Leads to Living a Joyful Life

A mindful and crucified life as a true disciple of Christ means we are learning from the Savior how to live in a way that we experience an abundance of joy. This spiritual truth counters any notion of seeking happiness that is all too often elusive. The more we seek after those things that we desire in order to experience happiness creates a life that appears to be like a hamster on the wheel. Ever spinning and going nowhere fast. Far too many of us have set our hearts, our minds, and our desires on what we are able to attain in this life that we have lost any notion of meaning and purpose.

As we approach the New Testament – we discover that the Savior never promises us a happy life. How come? Because He knows we will experience hardships. Face challenging seasons where our faith in Him is going to be tested time and time again. A sense of happiness never thrives in times of adversity. However, joy is where we define our sense of meaning and purpose. Joy is a catalyst to experience life for what it is and remain steadfast and faithful to Christ. Joy empowers us to live in those moments of challenging circumstances knowing Christ comforts, strengthens, and guides us.

Learning from the Savior Changes us from Reckless Living to Managing Life

Another aspect of learning from the Savior as a true disciple comes down to learning those spiritual truths that lead to faithful stewardship. And being faithful stewards means we take accountability and responsibility for our own life, and all that our Heavenly Father has entrusted us with, to manage and cultivate that honors Him. Because we are no longer seeking our own self-indulgence and desires to fulfill. Instead, as we learn to become faithful stewards through Jesus Christ, we learn to faithfully manage our relationships, our work, our finances, our health and wellness, and all that our Heavenly Father has entrusted us with. Good and faithful stewards unequivocally hold to God’s truth and minister in ways that bless others.

And when we learn to become good stewards over small things – we shall receive greater blessings and greater responsibilities to develop and enhance our ability to be stewards over greater things (Luke 16:10-14).

Our invitation to come unto Christ and follow Him means that we are willing to make the necessary sacrifices so that we are able to learn from Him those spiritual truths that are applicable to our own life. We come to learn from Him what it means to be a true disciple. We come to learn what it means to experience joy and a more abundant life. We come to learn what it means to become good and faithful stewards. We come to learn that it takes a great cost of our personal commitment and fortitude to live as authentically and as Christ-like as possible. Through which, we learn to discover our Heavenly Father’s commitment and fortitude of courage and strength.

Without the strength of Jesus Christ, and that of our Heavenly Father, we are unable to live in this world. We are not able to escape suffering. And since Jesus Christ has lived a life where he experienced suffering – it becomes bearable since He knows our own personal weaknesses and struggles. Therefore, becoming a true disciple of Christ and living a mindful and crucified Christian life is contingent upon our own personal willingness to learn from the Savior. Willingness to search for the answers to our own personal questions. Willingness to lose our own life so that we may find a more abundant life promised by our Heavenly Father.

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