You can’t be a disciple of Christ while maintaining the status quo. When we make the decision to recognize Jesus as Lord of our lives, everything changes. Or at least it should. Simply pretending to be a follower of Jesus is the same as not following at all. If we confess Him with our lips but do not demonstrate Him with our lives, then we are fooling ourselves if we think our eternity is secured. Jesus said that many will come to Him saying, “Lord, Lord”, but He will send them away because He never knew them (Matthew 7:15-23). If we want to avoid such a fate, we must live disciplined lives seeking Christ, while reflecting His love to others.
Discipline
Culture Wars
It is virtually impossible to be a disciple of Jesus Christ without living a life of self-discipline. Following Jesus means our focus shifts from being self-focused to others-focused. While this sounds noble and good, it is ridiculously difficult to implement. Our culture has so indoctrinated us with the pursuit of things we “need” and “deserve” that it becomes extremely easy to rationalize spending our time and money on things of earth rather than Heaven. Even within the church there are those that preach that following Jesus leads to prosperity and good fortune. This is contrary to what the Bible teaches (2 Timothy 3:12; Luke 9:58); serving God is all about thinking less of ourselves and more of others.
Fully Alive
Who wouldn’t want to live fully alive? We all want to be the best version of ourselves that we could possibly be, to achieve all that we were created to do. God has equipped each of us with a unique blend of passions, talents, and gifts. The reason we have been so blessed to receive these things is so we might accomplish all He has purposed us to do. To not utilize our gifts, to shrink back from obstacles, or to turn away from what we fear results in living a life less than the one we are capable of living. None of us want to reach the end of our life knowing we could have done more. So how do we live life fully alive? I think there are three keys…
What does it look like to follow Jesus?
Despite being the wealthiest people to ever walk the face of the earth, we still face daily struggles that interfere with our desire to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Most of us do not struggle with knowing where we will find our next meal or have to face being tortured because of our faith. Still, each of our lives brings their own set of challenges that can discourage us. Usually it becomes difficult to remember for whom we have pledged to live. When we do remember, it is a struggle to understand what it looks like to follow Jesus. I’ve got three practical applications for your life to help you put some discipline behind your devotion.
Waiting for Your Moment
One day, something will happen that will change your life. Out of the blue, everything will suddenly fall into place and make your entire existence make sense in an instant. Someday, someone will emerge from the shadows and sweep you away to a life of which you have only dreamed. You know that moment will come, so you sit and wait, confident in your assumption that something great will happen to you. But what if it doesn’t? What if all your waiting is just, well, waiting? Do you want to spend all your life waiting for your moment to arrive, or would you rather create untold moments by acting in the here and now?