Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Discipleship

Discipleship is a term I don't think I encountered until I went off to college. Yeah, I had probably heard the word brought up in "church-ese" language prayer, but it wasn't until I went to college that I ever gave the word much thought. The Cost of Discipleship by Boenhoeffer is the first extra-biblical place I ever remember seeing the word. It's something that us in Churches of Christ just aren't familiar with.

I've been thinking alot about what our church needs - you do that often as a minister. I have become convinced that we need discipleship. And I'm not passing the buck here - I need discipleship. It is severely lacking in my life. In most churches when great things happen we are quick to "thank you God for hearing us and answering our prayers" yet when we fall short of our prayerful goal our response is, "God has other plans for us . . . this was not meant to be." But what if in fact it was? What if God wanted to work this out, but because of our lack of faith and/or prayers, he didn't let it happen? I'm not sure I'd want to be the one to share that, but it sure makes me think.

"O ye of little faith." I think that is what Jesus would say to me, and I have little doubt that would be his message to so many. Discipleship is following Christ at all costs. It's changing our very livliehood because of who we have met - the Savior. I like to think of it as things should change after an encounter with Christ. Christians should look differently from those who do not know Jesus. But how often do they? How often do I? Too seldom I'm afraid.

I must begin to commit to discipleship, and I hope you'll join me. Our stupid culture let's us settle for things that are cheap and easy. What God offers is so much more and so much deeper - deeper than we can ever imagine, so I need to stop settling for the cheap stuff, and delve into the mystery of God.

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