Meeting 7/16/11

Been thinking about discipleship this week.  I remember when the disciples were picked by Jesus.  They had gone back to the family trade after not "making the cut" as students to whatever rabbis they were trying to make it with.  So Jesus picked the "losers", the "rejects".  This gives people like me hope!  Then they followed Him.  It was a tough life, I bet, filled with doubt and uncertainty, not to mention the lack of amenities and pleasures that we experience on a daily basis.  Then as Jesus died on the cross, they must have thought that all was lost.  I remember them fishing all night and seeing Him on the shore, cooking breakfast.  I remember them in the upper room, choosing another disciple to replace Judas.  Things changed after Jesus arose from the grave.  (That is an understatement!)  The good news gospel spread like wildfire after that.  And here we are today, still a part of that process and still a part of their success in discipleship. 

For this time period in history, we are called to make a positive difference in our world.  We are called to show God's people God's love.  It's hard, isn't it?  Maybe it's all relative, but it had to have been hard to sing His praises in the jail cell, in the dark, feet up in the stocks, lying in poop, waiting to die.  And we have our own challenges today.  But in both times, it's hard.  He said it would be.  No surprise there.

I was reminded of an old coinage, "the journey is the destination".  I have struggled with this credo my entire life.  It was very evident when it came to my completing a project.  I would obsess and attack it with such aggressiveness and vigor that I did not enjoy the process at all.  My wife actually helped point this out!  Thank goodness.  I have had more enjoyable projects since, though it is still a challenge at times.  But I think this truth was being lived out back in the original disciples' days, as well as today, as we follow Him.  Where is this promised "life" now?  Where is this "peace" now?  Where is my "joy" right now?  What about this "freedom" He talked about?  Surely, we aren't just waiting around for the next life to obtain our reward!  He said we can have these things now! 

Further, let us not miss the point that there wasn't just one disciple.  There was a band of brothers.  True, sometimes they dispersed and did different things, but they were in unity, and had the same purpose and goals.  We are called to be Firefighters for Christ.  We are intended to stick together and be unified by our King.  Though we will have different talents and paths, we should have unity of Spirit.  We should not give up meeting together, but encourage each other to run to win this race.  The reward will be glorious.  But living by true relationship with the Holy Spirit will allow us to be fully alive and propel the gospel forward.