I am reading the book, Starving Jesus.
I have really been thinking about the word disciple.
Christ-follower.
I think so often we measure a Christ-follower by a list of checks. However, I am not so sure it is measured like so. Maybe we structure being a disciple too much. I am sick of that! This is not how Jesus did it. Why do we (including myself) formalize it so much? How about we quit chatting, creating hard to understand strategies, and just follow Christ?! Is it really that hard?! I am just thinking out loud.
Read this from J.R. Mahon in Starving Jesus:
“For the first time in my life, I had a purpose; for the first time in my life I had a title: disciple.”
Not sexy. Costly. Painful. Awesome. Risky. Adventure. Powerful.
A disciple…
doubts
deceives
denies
forgets
fears
changes lives
is arrogant
denies himself
believes Jesus is Savior
heals
leads
hides
is human
loves
protects
is radical
is healed
leaves his life
follows Christ
gives his life for others
sins
dies for faith
is called to be a disciple
prays
hurts
has little faith
gets in the grill of others
has little faith
will tell the truth
forgives
asks for forgiveness
rants
fasts
questions
hopes
gets angry
does not worry
worries
likes money
has friends
gives up
has a church
doesn’t worry about money
stumbles
celebrates
I want to be obsessed with being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Thoughts?
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j.r.-i loved the book. the content was challenging and yet easy to read. if we could rethink our role and apply that role we could change the world. again, thanks to you and craig for writing such a good read. i would read it all over again.
thanks for the mention Jason!
J.R.
I grew up in churches that measured spirituality by checking off the boxes- and before you have a check-box you have to have a box that contains that area, that defines it. I want to get away from those boxes and those parametric lines and define faith and spirituality by how closely I resemble Christ and how little I deviate from His example. Not possible of course, but I think a better way to think about it than “checking boxes.”