As a "preacher", I find myself wrestling with finding balance between teaching the hard-core nature and truth of what it really means to be a disciple (follower) of Jesus and the reality of how that should look in each of our lives in today's world.
For example: I read Luke 14:25-27 and believe Jesus really does mean what He is saying here. To really follow Him, I must make being His disciple the most important thing and the driving force motivating all of my actions and decisions every day. Everything else in my life should pale in comparison. But there is a problem. I don't even come close to living up to this standard in my personal life!
I preach a lot about our "mission" as Christians and as the Church. Scripture is clear that we are aliens and strangers here on earth. Our home is in Heaven. Our lives are like a mist on the water, here one minute and gone the next. Our mission is to be Ambassadors of Christ and to share the Gospel with as many people as we can while we eagerly await the return of Christ. All great sermon lines and all are true, but how do we do it? How do I do it in my own life?
Is it OK that I "clock-out" of the mission for a while to watch a baseball game or a good movie? Is it OK that the mission gets put off until tomorrow so I can have a day off now and then? Is it OK that the spiritually lost and dying will still be lost and dying when I get back from vacation?
As I wrestle with these things and how to teach them to my congregation in an effective way, I am starting to see that it all comes down to the true value of things.
I have heard it said that something is only worth as much as you're willing to pay for it. I don't have a smart phone because I'm not willing to pay for the required data plan. Having internet access 24/7 is not worth $30 a month to me, therefore I'm not willing to pay the price. I don't like to go to meetings unless I have to because I usually don't find much value in them. I'd rather spend my time doing something of greater benefit.
My point here is that if I value something, I will pay the price required for it. The reason I find myself falling short of accomplishing the mission I am called to as a follower of Jesus is clearly due to the fact that I have not matured in my faith to the point of placing great value on that mission.
If I truly valued the truth of this life on earth just being a speck of sand in the vast desert of eternity, AND that God has given me a mission to tell as many people as I can about how Christ came to this earth so we could spend all of eternity with Him in Heaven...wouldn't I put Luke 14:25-27 into practice and live every minute of every day on a mission as an Ambassador for Christ?
Agreeing with what the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 3, I may have not reached that level of maturity yet...as a matter of fact, I'm not even close! But I am committed to pressing on in this mission to which I have been called so I might one day take hold of accomplishing it.
In the mean time, I will keep trying and I will keep preaching these truths. When it seems unrealistic, just remember...it all comes down to the value of things. If it is valuable and important to you, you will pay the price!
I agree. I think the main problem in Christianity today is that we need examples to follow. Though Jesus is the ultimate example, we need human examples of discipleship to follow. I pray that we can be that example for others. We have to be Christlike so that others can see Christ in us. I do not see Christlike character very often. I did see ir recently in the missionary Ron Morse. He was a beacon of light.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great point. As a matter of fact, in my prayer time tonight as I walked my neighborhood, I prayed specifically that I would be an example of a disciple instead of just talking about it. You're right about Ron Morse. He is indeed a great example of a disciple we can all model. Thanks for sharing.
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