January 21st

January 21

Ok time to take a mental trip for a few minutes. Picture if you will, the time that Jesus walked the earth calling the disciples to follow Him. Thanks to The Chosen series it shouldn’t be hard to imagine what that may have been like. The reality of it was that when Jesus was calling them, He was upending their lives, calling them to a completely different life. And it wasn’t an easy one. It was a life of sacrifice and many hardships at times, and for most of them it resulted in eventual persecution and death. It cost them relationships with family and friends along the way.

Think about how it resulted in them living for Him, not for themselves anymore. And talk about legacy! Think about the legacy they left! Those 12 men (and the women) exponentially changed the world. What started as 12 followers has expanded and influenced the world and resulted in billions of Christ followers over time, and that continues to grow. And you and I fit in there somewhere along the line. We have had the opportunity to hear the message of Jesus and respond to become Christ followers because those early disciples said yes. What they said yes to, was not spending 30 minutes a day praying and reading their Bibles. It was not going to church once a week and a Bible study on another day of the week. It was 24/7 revolving around Jesus. And it cost them dearly.

So imagine if Jesus were here on earth today calling people to be disciples and follow Him. What would that look like now? Would it be as noticeable?

But He IS here now, and through the Holy Spirit He IS calling people to be disciples and follow Him. And the call is no different. It is the same two words, “Follow Me.” Those two words should prompt the same response from our hearts that it did back then. Those words mean the same thing to Him now that they did back then. HE is not the one that changed.

We have grown soft in our complacency. We have become too comfortable and this is likely why we do not see the growth in the Church here that we see around the world. We don’t really know what it means to be disciples here in America. Instead of using our freedom to really pray and evangelize, we have spent that time and effort getting more “stuff.” The call is simple. It is not flashy or sparkly or appealing to the world. It is simple and hard. It is life-changing. It is not something tacked on to our life, it upends our life, it becomes our life. It changes our lives and it changes us. But it is worth it. We reap rewards here and in Heaven that can be gained no other way. We get to experience the life-changing fellowship with Jesus personally, we get His Spirit living in us, which brings us fulfillment, victory, transformation, peace and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit, as well as wisdom, discernment and a purpose that is worth dying for! He makes us who we aren’t when we surrender and follow Him. If we looked at following Him the way the disciples did back then, we would be leaving a legacy that would be world changing.

Becoming a disciple involves a transforming relationship, not just gaining head knowledge.

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Luke 9:23-24 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Do our lives reflect our choice to follow Him? Have we really made that choice? What areas of our lives have we not surrendered to Him yet? Are we willing to feel the pinch and walk out of our comfort zones? Are we ready to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily or are we too enamored with the world or the stuff in our lives? Are our lives ours or are they His? Do we want to live for Him and leave a true legacy?

Jesus, I need your help in becoming your disciple. I don’t know exactly what that means in my life right now and I don’t want to make the wrong decisions or avoid decisions because of discomfort. Please help me to be ready and willing to give everything for you and show me how my life can be yours instead of my own. Thank you for calling me to follow you and for your love and patience.