Yes, it's true. This weekend I've been at the beach. And yes, it's true. This weekend I've hardly done anything other than sit on my butt and read...for fun. (Yes, I'm an old soul. I like to read real books for fun.)
One book that made the trip was "The Invitation" by Greg Sidders. I wasn't even looking for this book, it just found me. At Dollar Tree. For $1.00. Even if I hated it or never got a chance to read it, what would I lose? You can't even buy a pack of gum for that price nowadays. So, I decided to give "The Invitation" a go, and I concluded that it was well worth my dollar.
From reading this book, I've decided I'd rather not be a believer of Jesus.
Instead, I'd rather be a disciple of Jesus.
A believer is someone who accepts something as true. A disciple is someone who accepts and then helps to spread those specific teachings. As a Christian, I was called not only to believe but to share my beliefs with everyone I meet. Will this be easy? nope. Will it be fun? not always. Will it be worth it? I'll let you decide.
But how do I know if I'm truly being a good disciple? The saying "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" has never been truer. If I treasure God, if I treasure His commands, if I treasure His people, I will become His. I will become a good disciple.
In Luke 14:33 we find that if we are not willing to take what is dearest to us--whether plans or people--and kiss them good-bye, then we cannot be God's disciples. Notice God does not say we may not be his disciple, but we cannot. We literally do not possess the ability to be His disciple if we do not put Him first in our lives. At some point, we all must face the decision of supremely following Christ or being content to love others before Him. We must choose whether to speak to the lonely, troubled kid in our class or stay inside our comfort zones. We must choose whether to copy and paste our essays or do what is asked and come up with our own information. Are we going to be believers or disciples? Will we be all in or nah?
As a disciple, I might suffer a little bit, but to hear "Well done, my good and faithful servant" in Heaven--I think it's worth it. God gave His only Son for us, why can we not give a little time, effort, and devotion back to Him?
The other thing about being a disciple is that we are not graded by our perfection or ability to do great and magnificent things. (Praise the Lord.) Being a good disciple is not about buying an entire school new laptops or jumping in front of cars to save friends. Discipleship is about those little actions--day in and day out--continually showing others how to love like Christ loves. They are simple actions that put feet to the Lord's plan. Just think: the night before He died, Jesus did not grant His disciples eternal wealth and fame. He didn't shower them with the finest treasures. Nope. He washed their feet. Simply and humbly. On his knees with a towel and basin, Jesus washed the feet of the men that would betray Him the following day.
God's focus is not on the amount of money you give to charity or the number of good deeds you complete this week. His focus is on your heart and your motives. He only asks that you give Him the glory in all things, loving Him first and then loving others sacrificially.
Will you be a believer or a disciple? Will you be "all-in", or will you be content to just be on the team?
I chose to be a disciple. So, if that means I've got to wash a few feet, just get me a rag. For Him, I'll wash the dirtiest of feet with a smile (and maybe a clothespin on my nose). God has called us to not only believe His promises but to share them with the world every day in every way.
It's crazy how a Dollar Tree book and a weekend beach getaway can clear my over-worked, over-stressed mind.
