A CLOSER LOOK AT DISCIPLESHIP
Greetings in the name of Jesus our Lord:
Who among us can be called a true disciple of Christ? Appart from what Jesus said about discipleship what has history told us about what discipleship means. Exodus 21:2-6 it calls
" a disciple a servant for life". Even to the world around us, the idea of becoming a follower or a student under the teachings of someone has always meant that we put our lives under the direction ad the guidance of that person. We put ourselves in a position of willingness to believe that that person is to be our center of truth and balance. As we give ourselves over to that instruction in many ways we have given our right to choose to them.
The question that is in my mind right now is who is it; or what is it that we have allowed having that kind of influence over us today? When we really stop for a second and look at that picture what is the image we are getting? Are we following Christ alone, or an image of Christ projected to us by someone else? If we are then just how closely have we been observing that person be with the message that Jesus brought to us from the Father? Another example of the world's view of discipleship is found in Numbers 32:14-27 where the commander of a soldier would choose one out of those he commanded to become his disciple; teaching him all he knew and grooming him to take on an important position in the ranks of soldiers. I can't help but remember the words "Many are called, but few are chosen" to mean that it is indeed an honor to be called out from among so many for a special work that God has for me to do.
I really believe that we all either choose or have in some cases been chosen to become disciples of Christ. If we have placed ourselves in that role then we should really be willing to learn from and do for God all that we can to both learn and serve God for who He is. If we have been handpicked by God for a work the chances are that we have tried to run from that work from time to time when we realized how big it can be. The thing is that if He has chosen us to do something He will not quite until we either die or we do the work He requests from us. Our discipleship will take our complete obedience, and we may have to go through a lifetime of preparation before we are ready to be used
. It is never the time it may take for us to learn what it is to be a true disciple of Christ; but rather the preparation of our heart in humbling ourselves before God to receive His blessing, commission, and work that He has designed us for. I have begun to realize that my preparation in this life is only the apprenticeship of my work with Christ for all eternity When I think about the joy of the work I now have, and the ideas of doing that kind of thing forever more with people in helping them to grasp the beauty of what they have in Heaven, and gently leading them in Christ my heart just bursts with excitement! Can you look at what is happening right now and see the future as we work together to proclaim God's greatness for eternity. I pray that we will all find our discipleship either our choice or in God's calling us to be fruitful. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
Who among us can be called a true disciple of Christ? Appart from what Jesus said about discipleship what has history told us about what discipleship means. Exodus 21:2-6 it calls
" a disciple a servant for life". Even to the world around us, the idea of becoming a follower or a student under the teachings of someone has always meant that we put our lives under the direction ad the guidance of that person. We put ourselves in a position of willingness to believe that that person is to be our center of truth and balance. As we give ourselves over to that instruction in many ways we have given our right to choose to them.
The question that is in my mind right now is who is it; or what is it that we have allowed having that kind of influence over us today? When we really stop for a second and look at that picture what is the image we are getting? Are we following Christ alone, or an image of Christ projected to us by someone else? If we are then just how closely have we been observing that person be with the message that Jesus brought to us from the Father? Another example of the world's view of discipleship is found in Numbers 32:14-27 where the commander of a soldier would choose one out of those he commanded to become his disciple; teaching him all he knew and grooming him to take on an important position in the ranks of soldiers. I can't help but remember the words "Many are called, but few are chosen" to mean that it is indeed an honor to be called out from among so many for a special work that God has for me to do.
I really believe that we all either choose or have in some cases been chosen to become disciples of Christ. If we have placed ourselves in that role then we should really be willing to learn from and do for God all that we can to both learn and serve God for who He is. If we have been handpicked by God for a work the chances are that we have tried to run from that work from time to time when we realized how big it can be. The thing is that if He has chosen us to do something He will not quite until we either die or we do the work He requests from us. Our discipleship will take our complete obedience, and we may have to go through a lifetime of preparation before we are ready to be used
. It is never the time it may take for us to learn what it is to be a true disciple of Christ; but rather the preparation of our heart in humbling ourselves before God to receive His blessing, commission, and work that He has designed us for. I have begun to realize that my preparation in this life is only the apprenticeship of my work with Christ for all eternity When I think about the joy of the work I now have, and the ideas of doing that kind of thing forever more with people in helping them to grasp the beauty of what they have in Heaven, and gently leading them in Christ my heart just bursts with excitement! Can you look at what is happening right now and see the future as we work together to proclaim God's greatness for eternity. I pray that we will all find our discipleship either our choice or in God's calling us to be fruitful. May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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