11 Life Lessons from Jesus

Jesus Christ took the Jewish people and religious leaders by surprise when He dismantled many of their traditions. In Mark 7:9 He said to some religious leaders, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”

As the Son of God, Jesus taught many things to help us live victoriously. Let’s look at 11 life lessons that we can learn from Jesus.

1. Take the road less travelled.
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” — Matthew 7:13-14

The majority’s decision is not always the right decision. Vox populi, vox dei (the voice of the people is the voice of God) is not always true. Not everyone is willing to go the extra mile to serve others. Not all companies are willing to give the best service and the best experience to their customers. Most of the time, doing the right things mean going against the flow and doing what’s not popular. If you are taking the road less travelled, you must be on the right road.

2. Whatever you are feeling, spend some time in isolation.
“When Jesus heard of John’s execution, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.” — Matthew 14:12
“After the feeding of the multitude and dismissing the crowd, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone.” — Matthew 14:23

No matter how you are feeling, whether you are feeling anxious or accomplished, always find time to connect with yourself. No amount of other people’s encouragement can lift you up if you keep on bringing yourself down. Also, spend time alone to find the deepest desires of your heart — unadulterated by other people’s agenda. In the deepest, unadulterated desires of your heart lies your purpose and your mission.

3. Be persistent.

“Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.” — Luke 11:5-8

When you are persistent, not only do you shake other people and even the heavens up. You also shake yourself up by becoming clearer with what you really want. Keep moving forward no matter how many times you have stumbled or been rejected.

4. Pruning hurts, but it is important to your growth.
“He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.” — John 15:2

Why spend time on things and habits that do not deliver results or make you grow? Taking away some habits like watching TV and even some unhealthy relationships hurts a lot. But, it is required if we want to achieve our dreams and if we want to grow. Most importantly, pruning is required if we want to bear more fruit in our lives. Let go of the things and even people that do not bring you closer to your dreams.

5. If you want to give genuinely, give in secret.

“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” — Matthew 6:1-4

A test of genuine giving is when you give without expecting any praise or recognition in return. Also, you can only feel the deep joy in giving when you give without anyone knowing. Give in secret and give anonymously. You will grow in generosity and gratitude that way.

6. Wherever you spend your money on, you value.
“For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” — Matthew 6:21

When you spend your money on charity, you think more about helping others and making a difference. When you spend your money on your education, you think about your growth and personal development. When you spend your money with your loved ones, you think more about them and spending time with them. Be careful where you spend your money. Money has value for a reason. Spend it on things you deeply value.

7. Use it or lose it.
“For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” — Matthew 25:29

What is your passion? What is your God-given talent? Always sharpen the saw and use what you have been given. If you don’t, you will grow rusty and you might eventually lose it. If you are good at writing, write. If you are good at numbers, keep computing and analyzing. Don’t rob the world of the one thing that only you can do.

8. Stop worrying and live for today.

“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” — Matthew 6:25-27,34

Yes, saving for the rainy days (and retirement) is very important. But, the present is all we truly have. Learn how to be more present by letting go of your worries and anxieties for tomorrow. Just do your best this very day and trust that tomorrow will take care of itself. Live your life one day at a time.

9. If you want to be great, serve.
“The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” — Matthew 23:11-12

Think about the great people who lived like Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa, and Gandhi. They are forever immortalized because they lived their lives in service to others and to what they believe in. Also, the greatest companies in the world like Apple are the ones that serve the most through their products. The more you serve, the greater you will be.

10. Let go of differences in denominations, religions, and beliefs.

“John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.’ Jesus replied, ‘Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.’” — Mark 9:38-40
This is simply true.

11. At the end of the day, it’s all about love.

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” — Matthew 22:36-40

Jesus summarized all 613 commandments in the Old Testament into two. Jesus knew that, at the end of the day, all that matters is love. Love goes beyond scriptures, religion, race, and beliefs. Why trouble ourselves with our differences? At the center of it all is love. Even scripture says, “God is love.” Just like the Golden Rule, you can never go wrong with love. Let love be at the center of your thoughts, your words, your dreams and aspirations, your actions, and your whole life.

Bonus lesson:

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13
Are there people in your life you love so much that you are willing to die for them? When there is someone you love more than yourself, it’s the best feeling in the world.