Monday, May 21, 2007

Thoughts on being a disciple


So what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? That's the question that i'm asking myself lately. Of course there are all the pat answers. A disciple is a student of her teacher. A disciple follows the teacher. A disciple is dedicated to the teachers teaching.

All that is true. I feel it in my bones. But as a father of two. As a husband. What does it look like for me? How do I take this teaching of Jesus's and make it live and breath so that I am a disciple maker.

One of the things that has been bouncing around in my head is the idea that Jesus never calls us to an easy way. He does say that His yoke is light, but there are so many times when He expects His disciples to have this crazy faith in the power He offers and take these extreme steps of action.

Do I live like that? Am I to tired, to comfortable, to scared, to--- you fill in the blank. Do I take the calling of being a disciple to the point where I am willing to lay down my life. Am I a servent to those around me? Do I worry about what God will think of my actions first and what men will think of them secondly? Am I scared of looking crazy to the world?

I wonder if I have been polarized in my faith. On one hand wanting to be open to those I am bringing the Kingdom of God to. Wanting to not sound fanatical. Yet on the other hand wanting to see God work in radical ways, seeing people give up this world for the Kingdom of God.

As we expand the Kingdom of God here in Portugal, we must find the truth of this statement, "What does it look like in my life to be a disciple. And how do we make disciples." I wonder if we don't need to be strong with our statements of Love in Christs name and let God do the heart work.

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