Are we content just living lives chasing after material things? Are we content just resting in our salvation while pursuing other things and not the things that God has planned for us? Are we content just letting life pass by when there is so high a calling on us, and so great a love driving us on?
A.W. Tozer wrote this, "God was saying to Abraham, 'You may have some other idea about the design and purpose of your life, but you are wrong! You were created in My image to worship Me and glorify Me. If you do not honor this purpose, your life will degenerate into shallow, selfish, humanistic pursuits."
I believe that Jesus meant for all of us- not just some, but all- to be His disciples. People often don't think so; after all, Jesus only had 12 disciples. But think about it- Jesus could not have possibly discipled the whole world in His three years of ministry! He only had 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So He chose 12 men, and poured all His energy and spirit into discipling them. And before He left, what did He command them to do?
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28: 19-20
"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you..." Those things that He commanded includes "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me..." and "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it..." Evidently all these commands were meant not just for the twelve, but for the twelve to spread to the entire world!
You may be thinking one of these things, "But I'm too weak to be a disciple of Christ! That is for people who are spiritually stronger! I don't know where to start in my spiritual life! I don't know what to do! I can't even keep up my spiritual life; how am I ever going to be a disciple?" But know this- Jesus did not choose for His disciples men of great spiritual stature. He chose for Himself men who were "weak"- mostly fishermen, and even a tax collector, who in those days were reviled for their dishonesty. And His command to them was simple- "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Jesus did not say, do this or do that, and you will be fishers of men. He just said "Follow me". Being a disciple is not about what we can do, it is about what Christ can do through us. Jesus did not see the fishermen as too weak to be disciples, simply because He knew that it was His strength in them, and not theirs, that would make them true disciples of Him. And He sees you exactly the same way.
No one is too weak or unsuitable to be Christ's disciple. All anyone has to do is to follow Him, and He will do the rest. But it is a wholehearted following that is necessary, and that is the difficult part. That is what we all struggle with, to cast aside our nets like Peter, stop trying to catch what we desire in life, and follow Him. To relentlessly seek the plans that He has for us. But the disciples did, and look what amazing things He did through them! Look how powerful they became when the Holy Spirit came upon; read the amazing account of the day of Pentecost in Acts. Imagine, if every Christian on earth were a fraction of the disciples that the early apostles were, the earth would be blazing with God's glory! And God promises that He will make us much more, for His glory. God is saying, "thou shalt see greater things than these" (John 1:50), if we only avail our whole selves to His use.
Disciples of Christ come in all shapes and sizes; they are engaged in very different kinds of service to God. "And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers...." Ephesians 4:11. But the one thing that they all share in common is that their lives are completely yielded to God, their hearts are set only on glorifying Him, and it is not them who are working, but God who is working in them. "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh in all." 1 Cor. 12: 4-6. Do not be afraid to avail yourself to God, and He will use the gifts that He has given you, "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God..." Eph 4: 12-13
Jesus' school of discipleship is open; no one who sincerely enters ever fails, but it is a lifelong course, and the cost is our lives. Are we willing to pay that price to enter?
A.W. Tozer wrote this, "God was saying to Abraham, 'You may have some other idea about the design and purpose of your life, but you are wrong! You were created in My image to worship Me and glorify Me. If you do not honor this purpose, your life will degenerate into shallow, selfish, humanistic pursuits."
I believe that Jesus meant for all of us- not just some, but all- to be His disciples. People often don't think so; after all, Jesus only had 12 disciples. But think about it- Jesus could not have possibly discipled the whole world in His three years of ministry! He only had 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So He chose 12 men, and poured all His energy and spirit into discipling them. And before He left, what did He command them to do?
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28: 19-20
"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you..." Those things that He commanded includes "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me..." and "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it..." Evidently all these commands were meant not just for the twelve, but for the twelve to spread to the entire world!
You may be thinking one of these things, "But I'm too weak to be a disciple of Christ! That is for people who are spiritually stronger! I don't know where to start in my spiritual life! I don't know what to do! I can't even keep up my spiritual life; how am I ever going to be a disciple?" But know this- Jesus did not choose for His disciples men of great spiritual stature. He chose for Himself men who were "weak"- mostly fishermen, and even a tax collector, who in those days were reviled for their dishonesty. And His command to them was simple- "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Jesus did not say, do this or do that, and you will be fishers of men. He just said "Follow me". Being a disciple is not about what we can do, it is about what Christ can do through us. Jesus did not see the fishermen as too weak to be disciples, simply because He knew that it was His strength in them, and not theirs, that would make them true disciples of Him. And He sees you exactly the same way.
No one is too weak or unsuitable to be Christ's disciple. All anyone has to do is to follow Him, and He will do the rest. But it is a wholehearted following that is necessary, and that is the difficult part. That is what we all struggle with, to cast aside our nets like Peter, stop trying to catch what we desire in life, and follow Him. To relentlessly seek the plans that He has for us. But the disciples did, and look what amazing things He did through them! Look how powerful they became when the Holy Spirit came upon; read the amazing account of the day of Pentecost in Acts. Imagine, if every Christian on earth were a fraction of the disciples that the early apostles were, the earth would be blazing with God's glory! And God promises that He will make us much more, for His glory. God is saying, "thou shalt see greater things than these" (John 1:50), if we only avail our whole selves to His use.
Disciples of Christ come in all shapes and sizes; they are engaged in very different kinds of service to God. "And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers...." Ephesians 4:11. But the one thing that they all share in common is that their lives are completely yielded to God, their hearts are set only on glorifying Him, and it is not them who are working, but God who is working in them. "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh in all." 1 Cor. 12: 4-6. Do not be afraid to avail yourself to God, and He will use the gifts that He has given you, "for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God..." Eph 4: 12-13
Jesus' school of discipleship is open; no one who sincerely enters ever fails, but it is a lifelong course, and the cost is our lives. Are we willing to pay that price to enter?
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