What "Discipleship" Means

THIS WEEK I've had a few important realizations. The lesson in "The Purple Book" this week was Discipleship and Leadership, and looking at it I got some questions answered.
When Jesus says "Follow Me," it seems simple enough, doesn't it? I think many of us have it in our heads that to follow Him is simple, or easy. I fear that what I do is that I do the same things every week: church and blog post on Sunday, Youth Group on Wednesday, Fish club on Thursday, Life Group on Saturday, one chapter of the New Testament every day; pray before meals, tests, assignments and sleep. That's boring. I mean, I don't get shaken up very much. It shouldn't be a pattern. What I learned this week is that because I'm learning so much from being with other Christians at these events, there is no reason that everyone around me shouldn't be learning, too. I hope that this blog shares what I learn, but I do this once a week. I have six other days in a week where I could be sharing what I know, and I have been praying that I could learn learn quite how to do that.
Sharing, despite any cost, is what discipleship is about. Paul recognized that the point of Christianity is not that we will be happy every day of our lives on earth. The point is to give glory to God, and that is not easy in a world that has turned from Him. But that's why the world needs saving. Paul knew it was dangerous, and he knew it was worth it. Look at Acts 21:10-13:
"[10]And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. [11] When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" [12] Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. [13] Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not only o be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.""
I aspire to having that kind of faith. I cannot help but wonder what I would do if I knew there was a great likelihood I would die or get hurt for doing this or that, or going here or there, for the name of Jesus. He never said it would be a walk in the park picking daisies, but He showed us it would be a walk on a turbulent sea. Do you know how hard it is to walk on water? People can only walk on water with Jesus' help. Nowadays it is more metaphorical: walking on water might be taking a step of boldness, even if people are going to think we're crazy. And whenever we don't take that step when we know we should, we feel like failures and wonder why we can't hold on to what we learned at church a few days ago and use it outside the church walls. Now, we don't always have to go up to a strange and start shouting Bible verses at him. That would not be effective. Sometimes it is as easy as making somebody feel comfortable, or going across the room to talk to somebody who doesn't seem to feel welcome.
There are a few different reasons, as I've heard, that we often don't share our faith. Laziness is one; it keeps us too comfortable to to something amazing. God knows we can do amazing things with His guidance. With Him all things are possible, after all, and people with all kinds of issues and hinderances are made able to overcome them and be amazing. The lead singer of Casting Crowns (I went to go see them yesterday. It was amazing) grew up with dyslexia and A.D.D., and he's touring cities with the band, praising God instead of staying put with limitations.
Another reason is that we are busy. I was very busy this week, so it's fresh in my mind how distracting it can be to have to do alot of things. How often Jesus was busy, surrounded by a crowded group of people, and He stopped in the middle to help one of them out. He never said, 'No, lady, I'm going to have to heal your daughter next week. I'm booked." No job is too big for Him. He's God. He keeps gravity running; He can keep my life together, no matter what I gains or lose or what have on my mind. And we should never be too busy for God anyway. So I hope and I pray that no matter where I have to be or what I have to do, God will make me pay enough attention to see whether there's something I need to be doing right now to learn about Him or tell someone else.
Our view of ourselves also makes a difference in whether we are willing to go out on a limb. If we think too little of ourselves, as the devil really wants us to, we start thinking there's no way a little step that we bring ourselves to take could amount to anything. But every action is a seed sown, and God is quite able to make a little thing into a big thing, even to use it as a doorway to a big thing. He can make us amazing for Him. That reminds me of a song, "The Voice of Truth" by, you guessed it, Casting Crowns. No matter what it is we are trying to face, and no matter who tells us we can't do it, Jesus is there telling us we can.
Or maybe we think too much of ourselves. Maybe we think we are so perfect and so close to God that we stop seeing our flaws and start looking at other people's flaws, deciding who it's worthwhile to talk to. That's terrible. None of us have ever been worthy. That's the point! It's God's grace, not our preference. That's like the big brother in the story of the prodigal son. He didnn't want his brother to receive such a party for his return because he felt worthier than his brother. We, like him, should be glad for anybody to come home, even ugly people or unpleasant people. Everybody is precious to God - Christ died for them all.
This is what Jesus told us to do: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I [Jesus] have commanded you." I can tell you, since I've heard all the reasons why people don't do as we're told so clearly, I've been feeling very challenged. I've felt like I could never do this, and I've wondered why I can't do this, and I've questioned what it is I'm personally supposed to be doing. But it's not complicated. Christianity is not easy, but it is not complicated. Jesus said "Follow me." He also said "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himslef, and take up his cross, and follow Me." He makes it clear that it is not easy.
According to "The Purple Book, "Taking up your cross is the ultimate act of surrender - a conscious choice to deny yourself and live for Christ. It means a willingness to follow and obey Christ to whatever end." That is terrifying. It is petrifying. But it only leaves two options, so it is not hard to figure out. I am a Christian. So either I turn around now and don't follow Him when it gets difficult - and I'm not going to turn away, not in a milion years - or I follow him forward to whatever end. He's drawn a line in the sand. No partiality. I'm on His side or I'm not, I gather with Him or I don't. Paul recognized this. His first followers faced horrendous persecution because of their faith in Jesus Christ (and they wouldn't have gone through it if they had any reason to doubt that He is God). So I gather with Him. And again I remember Peter walking on the water. Can you imagine? He must have been petrified. Who walks on water? He must have thought, people just can't walk on water. But He did it anyway. And nobody else has ever been able to make his followers powerful enough in trusting him that they could walk on water like Peter and Jesus did.
This subject is rather important to me right now, especially because on Good Friday, April 2, 2010, I will be water baptized as a public demonstration of my faith, giving me a whole new reason to take up my cross, daily. But I have most of a week until that day. What will I do with it? As a Christian, I'm already a disciple.
The big point is that no matter how often we Christians remind ourselves of what we need to avoid, it only matters whether we are willing to step over the things in our lives that eat up our time, energy, and interest and remember what it means to "follow" Jesus. It means to pursue Him. We pursue God by seeking to learn more about Him AND listening to what He tells us AND acting accordingly. It means asking Him to give us each a heart that desires Him, and to show us whether we have any habits or idols that need breaking, and then actually acting how He directs us. This is a challenge, and it seems very sscary. But I remember that when I look at this big mountain of thinggs I have to do and things that scare me all I need to do is ask God to hold my hand through it, and I can step over it. It does not become easy, but it becomes possible. And when Peter is sinking in the waves all he needs to do is call for Jesus' help, and He holds his hand, and the waves calm down. And that is how to live a life.

Here's a special miracle, everybody: Remember Katie Carr I told you about, who had a rare kind of bone cancer in her arm? I told you about how the doctors decided against removing her arm and that they would be able to save the whole thing. This week she had surgery to replace her bone in her upper arm with a cadaver, and while the doctors were worried that this would limit the motion of her hand in the future, it now seems she will have full or almost full use of her hand. God is awesome. Pray for her recovery from her surgery.