Discipleship is Daily Devotion

A well-known bumper sticker reads "He who dies with the most toys wins". It is a relatively harmless funny saying to many but actually living by that rule reflects a more serious issue: a worldview that says life and eternity have no real meaning, so you should just live it up now; eat and drink and be merry here on earth because there really isn’t anything beyond this life. Get all you can, can all you get, sit on the can. Find your worth in the materialism and pleasure of this world. It is a lie that many believe. In Matt. 6:24 Jesus zeroes in on this most fundamental question: Are you serving God or not?

We are such consumers we think of following Jesus as an option; a choice we make anywhere along the spectrum of total obedience and casual interest; whatever suits us and our lifestyle. As if we were the master and Jesus was at our mercy! Some people who say they love Jesus never make the transition to full commitment. You will make the choice between two masters. 1 leads to life, the other death. Who are you serving?

It is all or nothing with Jesus. Once we sign on with Jesus, discipleship is not an option in a Christian’s life. You will have a master (Greek, kurios = lord); when we say that Jesus is Lord it is not just a cool way of sounding spiritual; we are saying He has absolute ownership over our lives, or we don’t understand. It is not just an option for the super-spiritual; Jesus must be acknowledged for who He really is. Many think that you can come to know Jesus as Savior and maybe, when you get a bit more committed down the line, make Him Lord. We don’t make Him anything. He is Lord. If you know Him, at whatever level you can, you acknowledge His right to rule sovereignly in your life; you want Jesus to lead. Jesus asked say why do you call me Lord, Lord but do not do what I say. Following implies obedience. Like when we sing, Have thine own way Lord, have thine own way, hold over my being absolute sway.

A common reason we have trouble with the D-word (Discipleship) is because it is closely related to the L-word (Lord) & we get tangled up in the S-word (Sin) & it’s deceptive relative, the C-word (compromise). We lose our convictions. We get swallowed up in all the things our culture says will make us healthy, happy and wise. Discipleship is being different (a counterculture) and interacting with the culture (for the common good). Not serving possessions as a slave, but using what God has given for His work and the benefit of others.