10/16/2024 0 Comments The Walk of A Disciple (Part One)Christine Olding “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19–20 Growing up in the traditional church, I heard these verses repeatedly. My childhood was peppered with reminders that we, as Christians, were to go out and make disciples. Somewhere in my childhood and even my adult brain, I was translating the word “disciple” to “new believer.” If I’m honest, I didn’t realize this until roughly 10 years ago. When in a crisis, it hit me that this business of pressing harder into my Heavenly Father’s presence, actively seeking friendship with Jesus, and digging deep into God’s Word for an answer to that all-important question, “What would Jesus do?” was the active daily work of discipleship. Becoming a disciple is not an identity that one attains but a path that one begins and does not reach the end of this side of heaven. I must admit that for the early part of my life, I tended to be preoccupied with who I was in God’s eyes and how He saw me. Just being loved by God was my goal, and I sought that place out daily to rest in and feel safe. Please understand that I still love bathing in my Heavenly Father’s love! Who doesn’t prefer to be surrounded by and thrive in unconditional and perfect love? But the more I grew to know the Father, Jesus, and His Spirit, and the more I dug into His Word, the more I realized that God didn’t just love me; He had thoughts, opinions and plans for me. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 I learned that simply being with God wasn’t the end of my experience as a Christian; it was only the beginning. What does it mean for me to be a Christian? Digging down into a salvation moment reveals that it means so much more than entering into God’s family. Accepting Jesus as the Lord of my life means I surrender everything. My goals, my desires, my fears, my victories, my failures and relationships are all meant to be under His Lordship. “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.’” Luke 9:23–24 How on earth can I do that without Him? It is impossible for me to navigate my life according to His plans without constantly spending time with Him. I must consistently be digging into God’s Word, talking to the Father about my life, and listening to His heart about things that comprise my path – a path He is building in front of me, laying one stone at a time for me to follow. “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way.” Psalm 37:23 Do I seek His guidance and goals for my life out of fear? Am I worried that some great fist will appear in my life and punish me if I do not choose God’s path over mine? Not even remotely! As I said earlier, I adore bathing in the Father's love; it is a place that I continually seek. But He doesn’t love me because I chose Him. He loved Me even when I ignored Him. I can’t lose His love for me. Before I loved Him, before I chose Jesus…when I was ignoring Him and doing my own thing in the world, He gave His Son to die a horrible death on a cross because He loved me even then! “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 I am free to choose His path for my life because I am trusting Him and because I am learning that He is actually better at being the Lord of my life than I am. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5–6 What does it look like to actively seek the richness and beauty of a relationship with Jesus, His Father and His Spirit? Constantly pursuing His plans and ways for all my life requires forming time-management habits to do the work. Because this path requires uprooting weeds and inviting the Father to lay the path for me to follow daily, it absolutely requires me to gain personal discipline in order to follow Him consistently. And entering into this lifestyle of discipleship is the richest, most rewarding, life-changing journey I have ever been on. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Blessings, Christine
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October 2024
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