The Messiah Mindset [PART 3, FINALE] - Walk the Talk

Greetings, my friend,

Welcome to The Arsenal, your bi-monthly resource for training and equipping you to live a set-apart lifestyle.

We’ve reached the third and final part of “The Messiah Mindset” series, where we analyze the life and earthly ministry of our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah to help us not only imitate Him to the best of our ability, but also to live a set-apart lifestyle through the wisdom found in the Gospel accounts.

If you missed part 1 and/or part 2 of this series, you can click or tap the respective parts to catch up so you don’t miss anything we’ve discussed!

Without further ado, off we go.

Imagine this: As a follower of the Messiah Yeshua, after much prayer, you’ve finally discovered your purpose here on this earth and wish to go all in. After taking the time to eliminate distractions (both physical and emotional), and you develop a game plan to live out your calling, you’re ready to take your third and final step towards building the Kingdom. But what is that final step?

Simple. Taking action. Getting up and going. Being a person of your word. Walking the talk.

And yet, this is where so many people stop. Even after doing most of the hard work already by planning out their steps, they never actually end up walking out what they originally set out to do. And I find this an extremely tragic trend among the Body of Messiah, and I am not exempt from this tendency from time to time either.

Perhaps some are still afraid to truly step out and act. Maybe they’re afraid of the unknown, or maybe they know exactly what they’re getting into and they’re having second thoughts. And believe or not, we know for a fact that Yeshua was afraid to actually achieve His goal too since He knew exactly what kind of excruciating fate awaited Him.

Consider the following account:

By sweating blood, Yeshua was experiencing a condition known “hematidrosis,” which is triggered by extreme physical or emotional stress. Many of us would say we’re “very stressed” or “so overwhelmed,” yet this condition is very rare in today’s world because most people are very rarely under a condition that would induce such a reaction. Have you ever sweated blood before because you thought your life or your goals were “so stressful”? Chances are, probably not.

But here is our Messiah willingly pursuing a goal that brought not only Him extreme stress, but also immense pain and suffering, all so that you could have eternal life with Him one day. For me, my love for Him is compounded by the fact He dedicated, structured, and in the end, gave His life after overcoming the potential emotional roadblocks of fear, humiliation, and rejection by His own people. And all so I could be forgiven for the stupid little things I do each day.

And obviously, I’m not the only one who thinks this way. For 2,000 years, thousands of believers worldwide have also gladly given their own lives for the Gospel because of their adoration of Yeshua for actually doing what He set out to do despite how difficult it was. You could argue they were hopelessly inspired by the example set by Him and wanted nothing more than to be even a fraction of how impactful He was (and still is!) in spreading the Good News to all who will listen.

While you may not often realize it, you’re being watched. And I don’t just mean by our All-Seeing, All-Knowing Father, but also other people! When you set out to do big things and actually accomplish them, people take notice. We see this on a large scale around the world with how our culture idolizes celebrities for their talents, creativity, careers, financial status, and other achievements. But even if you don’t care about any of those types of people, you probably do this yourself more than you realize: Have you ever looked at a friend, family member, or anyone else you may know and felt inspired to do big things or make positive changes in your life? Probably not too long ago.

It’s human nature to glorify and want to imitate those more knowledgeable, successful, or powerful than we are. And followers and disciples of our Messiah with a mission of making disciples of the nations (Matthew 28:19-20), it’s critical to understand that you are more inspirational than you realize! If you dedicate your life to our Messiah’s teachings, prioritize His purpose for your life, and actually walk it out in boldness of the Spirit and start doing amazing things because of that, it leaves a mark on those around you: They want to have that same confidence you have; they want to lead effective and purposeful lives; but ultimately, they want the source of that fire for themselves. And that desire aroused in them because of your obedience can lead them to the One who will gladly empower them to live and impact even more people in life-changing ways. 

So know that you understand the implications of actually walking out what you say you’re going to do and stepping into your calling, here are a few things for you to consider to help you actually walk the talk in your own life and become that inspirational servant and witness for the Master:

#1 - Have a Mindset of Submission and Obedience: Notice something important from that passage in Luke’s gospel account: Despite how terrified He was of His impending crucifixion, Yeshua states not His will, but His Father’s be done. If Yeshua can submit to whatever He was called to do, even if it meant facing death itself, and still obediently carry it out, we certainly have little excuse not to do the same, right? But what does that actually look like?

The apostle James, the half brother of our Messiah, wrote in his epistle:

And notice how this command aligns with something else Yeshua said in that passage from Luke: Before and after praying to The Father, He tells the apostles, “pray that you enter not into temptation.” At its core, prayer is a form of submission: By praying, we’re subconsciously admitting that we are not all-powerful and appeal to the Creator for our needs, requests, and thanksgiving. And by submitting to Yahweh’s authority, the devil, who often uses our thoughts and emotions to lead us astray (II Corinthians 11:3, I Peter 5:8), will flee from the One who’s greater than he is. Praise Yah!

And as a result of our submission, we should desire to obey in any circumstance. Just as children are commanded to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1-3), we should strive to reflect that obedience in a spiritual sense as Yahweh’s children. As the apostle Paul wrote to his disciple Titus:

Through submission to our spiritual authority (Messiah Yeshua) and obeying what He tell us to do, we can perform good works to help spread the Good News and build the Kingdom in ways we never thought possible

#2 - Know Who You’re Working For:

*Mic drop*

Need Paul say any more? If we don’t forget Yeshua as our first love as some believers did (Revelation 2:4-5), our desire to serve Him and glorify His Name in all the earth won’t allow us to sit idly by!

It’s also important to remember those who will be impacted by your good works, both directly and indirectly. It’s ironic to me how the Holy Spirit is represented in the Bible as fire: When you are a witness of our Messiah’s resurrection and love for the world through living out your calling, it spreads like wildfire to others and encourages them to do the same!

As Yeshua said:

Do not serve the Master just to build your ego, reputation, and wealth: For those things are fleeting and have no value in the eternity to come. Rather, live out your calling to not only receive a greater reward from your Father in Heaven, but more importantly, to give praise and glory to the King for your salvation and to inspire others to do the same. Remember the greater goal and commission the Master has given to you as His disciple.

#3 - Build Endurance: In our spiritual walk through this life, it certainly contains no shortage of trials, temptations, and other difficulties. And these can range from simple inconveniences to traumatic events. But regardless of the scale, we must not let them prohibit us from achieving our goals.

But how do we truly let these negative things just roll off our backs like it’s no big deal? Simple: Treat them like a learning experience that will help you grow.

Consider:

And through viewing trials in this way, Paul’s example to us becomes easier to follow:

So whether it’s your friends and family judging you for the “unusual” decisions you make to walk out your purpose, the struggle to make ends meet in full pursuit of that purpose, or the doubt you may have from questioning if your life’s work even makes a difference, count it all joy, because the Messiah is refining you to become an even greater and unstoppable asset to His Kingdom for pressing toward the goal for the prize of that upward call He’s given you.

And remember: even when it’s hard to get out of bed and pursue purpose each day, and even at your lowest points in this pursuit, Yahweh is faithful:

May the Messiah be with you in your journey as you learn to truly step out in faith and make a difference in even one person’s life. Because you never know what spiritual breakthroughs and saved lives may become of it.

Be blessed.