Jesus, Our Perfect Example.

Following the greatest example ever set - Intro 001

Hello, my good friend. I'm glad you're here on this beautiful evening (sounds so grown up;). I'm trying to be creative with these intros so that I don't bore you, but most importantly, I don't ever want it to seem like I say the things I say just for just, you know?

Anyways, as usual, I am very excited to have you read today's installment of Temple Conversations. Today is a little different. Let's get into it!

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The World of Access

It's so interesting to live in an age where we have access to so many people's lives, so many details exposed for us to see. Thousands of books are written about the lives of people who seem worthy of emulation, morning routines are shared, and all the things. In today's world, we get to "spend the day" with award-winning actors, bestselling authors, and chart-topping artists. It's an incredibly difficult time to exist authentically as what God created you to be.

When there are so many examples, it's hard to choose which one you should actually emulate. I like to think a lot about the Bible and how relevant the lifestyle portrayed in it is to today's culture. How successful would we be if we lived the way the people of the Bible lived, if we didn't try so hard to stay up to date with the constant changes? But that's not the focus for today. Today, I'd like to really get into where we are getting our recipe for success from.

The fact that we have so many people to follow after is both a blessing and a curse because many of us are getting led astray and beginning to have what I call manufactured dreams and ambitions. This can be traced down to the smallest details of our lives, like what we eat or even how long we sleep. I like to wrestle with my mind on how much of the original plan of God for my life I am walking in. Which one of my ambitions is truly mine and which ones I have picked up from the many people I follow or read about. I'd invite you to ask yourself these questions as well.

Now, I'm not here to really speak about the deep stuff. I'm here to speak on the seemingly simple things, like sleeping habits, eating habits, and feelings, you know? The stuff everyone has an opinion about. The things that seem to not be explicitly talked about in scripture, that's what I'm here for. Okay, now that that's settled, let's talk about Jesus.

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Following after the perfect example

Firstly, I just want to say that I think Jesus is such a good guy; I'm actually obsessed with Him. Not even as Lord, but just as a person, He is pretty impressive. The Bible does such a great job at portraying Him to be a funny, smart, and kind person. Also, the subtle sarcasm and quick wit get me every time.

Okay, now that my fun girl moment is over, we can get into some more serious stuff. I want us to imagine for a second what our lives would look like if the life of Jesus as portrayed in the Bible was the only example we had for how to live life. What would that look like? Would it be enough for us? Would we need a more detailed morning routine, maybe a "what I eat in a day" for the wellness junkies, how about a skincare routine?

Sometimes, it just feels like we need more and more people to show us details of their lives in order for us to do life correctly. But the Bible says we must look to Jesus and Jesus only, that He is the author and finisher of our faith. And I know most of you are thinking it says faith, not lifestyle, and you're correct. But I think that's where we've missed the mark, that maybe we've chosen to look to Jesus for certain things only and look for the other things that He 'didn't' show us in other people.

The Gospels are fascinating to me because that's the only part of the Bible where we are not only seeing instructions on how to live; in the Gospels, we also see the instructions lived out. We see God Himself come down to show us how to do life, and when we look with utmost attention, I think we can find answers to a lot of questions we have. Maybe, just maybe, we would stop looking far and wide for examples to emulate because Jesus Christ has shown us and given us the blueprint.

My goal with this short "day in the life of Jesus" series that I'll be kicking off this December is not to stop you from gaining inspiration from people. My goal is to make you see that all that they do has its source in Jesus. Many things have been manipulated; hustle culture tells us there's no time to sleep, that we must keep pushing, and diet culture has taught us to starve our bodies for us to get a better body.

There are so many things to get into, so for the next four weeks, I will take a deep dive into the life of Jesus. I want us to see how he lived and see how we can adapt our lives to His. Because I am more than certain that by simply looking to Jesus, we can literally have all the hacks, tips, and tricks we need to live holistic, well-rounded lives.

Okay, friend, we start next Tuesday, and just so you know, that letter has already been written, and it's absolute fire! I was supposed to send it out today, but I thought I'd give a more in-depth introduction for why I chose this series.

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December Challenge

I read somewhere that people who start to get prepared for the next year well before it begins are the ones that get the most out of it. So, in the spirit of getting the most out of 2024. Here are a few things we can do this December :

Body :

1. Eat a fruit a day. Any fruit, just eat one a day.

2. No carbonated beverages.

Soul :

1. Journal for at least 15 minutes a day.

2. Write a letter to future you (2024 you), I’m actually going to write a letter to myself that will be delivered every 1st of the month as motivation.

Spirit :

1. Write a letter to God. Include your 2024 expectations.

2. Spend a few days fasting and praying for the new year.

That’s it from me this week my friend, In the comments tell me what you thought or simply just hit reply to this email. And don’t forget to put us on to something we should watch, listen to or read or better yet tell us a lesson what you’re looking forward to this December.

See you Tuesday.

Love,

Ruth Musange

28/11/23, 10:48pm.