The Duty of Discipleship
I almost titled this entry something else. I have a hard time with the word ‘duty’, duty for me makes me think of rules and having to do something rather than freely following out of joy. I know God’s heart for us is not for us to be grumpy, disheartened, but dutiful disciples. But, at the same time being a disciple of Jesus carries with it a lot of responsibility. At the core of responsibility is ‘response’, what we will do in and through the power of Jesus. In the parable of the two sons in the vineyard, the one who said no to his father’s request to work in the vineyard and then went and did the work was the one who pleased the father, not the one who said yes and then didn’t. Saying yes and following through would be the ideal, but in times where we don’t feel like saying yes, duty is required.
As a disciple one of our first jobs is to figure out what Jesus would like from us His people. I have found so many ways to hear God’s voice, but nothing works better for hearing God’s voice than finding a time of quiet away from all of life’s distractions (this is really hard) to study the Bible. As I read the scripture I sense God challenging my convictions, my character and cuts straight to my heart. I have also discovered the word to be a great doorway to hear God’s confirming voice in the world, whether it is through a friend, a radio program, TV show, movie, an article or a thought. God teaches us how we are to interact with Him and how we are to embrace the world. I have also found that one of the ways God uniquely speaks to me is when I come to the end of myself and realize how much I need His vision and grace. Sometimes this comes when I see others who are “more successful” than I am, sometimes it comes when I make a mistake, but those times do seem to come.
As a disciple we also have a ‘duty’ to respond. I am definitely one of those types who would rather be caught doing something wrong or messing up than not doing anything at all. So I would say part of responding is learning to be patient and wait for God’s timing. Sometimes we have a tendency to push through situations that God never intended for us to push through. We usually do this because we assume God isn’t working with us and therefore we must do it all. On the other hand in the modern world of discipleship people are so fearful of failure or preoccupied with other things that we don’t tend to act when God calls us to.
One of the things that I try to remember is that I really do have no control over the impact or outcome of my service to God. At the end of the day all I can do is try to serve wisely and faithfully. The results are in God’s hands. I also have to remember that I do not have any idea all the things He is doing in any one life at any one time, including my own.
In closing, perhaps here is a statement that will bring you comfort: “A disciple of Jesus is someone who messes up frequently and usually in a way so that others can see”
Reread that definition, it shows humility, bravery and boldness that our world really needs!
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