Foundational Values of Discipleship
Foundational Values of Discipleship
I AM GATHERING MY THINGS TO GET UP TO PREACH when I feel something slipping out of my Bible and I reach to grasp it. Seeing it brings a smile to my face.
It's a magnet. A small alien, complete with an extra-large head and characteristic neon green color. My colleague and friend gave it to me and I keep it in my Bible to help me remember my calling to preach a living Word each week. A strange symbol perhaps, but a meaningful one. It's easy to get knowledge-heavy. To get up front and preach or teach focused on what we want people to know and understand. Yet, we don't want to grow "aliens" - people with heads swollen up with facts alone. We want to grow disciples. We want wholistic, grounded disciples of Jesus, proportionate in their knowledge, identity, and action.
As I slip the little alien back into my Bible, I whisper to myself, "This Word is a Living Word, meant to be lived out in our day-to-day lives." This is not head knowledge; this is knowledge that comes by experience - knowing, being, and doing. Let's not grow aliens. Let's grow disciples.
Intentional Process
Intentional Process
The most radical shift we can make in our understanding of discipleship is to move towards a life-long, intentional, process orientation. Rather than a quick fix or overnight metamorphosis, discipleship is a journey. We grow daily in relationship to God, in community with others, and in understanding our purpose. There will be ebbs and flows to each of these areas in our lives. There are times my soul feels so full of life, health, and strength that I can hardly contain the joy. There are other times my soul feels dry and my spiritual practice feels devoid of meaning. This is what it means to be a disciple. We yoke ourselves to Jesus and keep pressing forward. As Paul did, we remember to press on toward the goal for which Christ is calling us heavenward. I live for this day and the next one. I am not defined by the past, nor do I live in the past. Yesterday's spirituality and vitality is not life for today.
I want to invite you, once again, to experience grace. To hear the Holy Spirit whisper, "Lay down your heavy burden of guilt and feelings of not-enoughness when it comes to your devotional life or relationship with Me. Many of us struggle with devotions. We struggle with discipleship. We struggle with prayer. We wish there was a "just do this," so the church will then be what it is called to be. There is no "silver bullet" or "this is the answer," though we wish there were.
There is an answer though. Trust in God's grace on the journey. Walk with the One who loves us deeply and who won't let us go. This is not a cliché, but an expression of reality. The answer is not a program but a deeply personal God. The answer is not found in right religious practice, but in a growing relationship.
As people, and especially as leaders, it is tempting to look for "the fix," to seek that one thing that will solve the problem for ourselves and for those we serve. Instead of a fix, we are invited to turn again to fix our gaze on Jesus. We are invited on a journey.