Discipleship

“No one who earnestly seeks being a disciple of Jesus stays the same.” I wrote that last week, but how are we changed? What is discipleship meant to make us become?

We understand in some sense that, since discipleship is meant to make us imitators of our teacher, we should become more like Jesus. But we aren’t all going to become celibate itinerant preachers and workers of miracles in the Holy Land. What does it mean for us to put into practice the old 90’s slogan WWJD: “What would Jesus do?” More importantly, what is Jesus calling us to do?

The first thing we have to realize is that to be more like Jesus is to grow in selfless, self-giving, sacrificial love for those whom Jesus loves. The most famous verse in the Bible reads “For God so loved the world …” (John 3:16).

Love is at the core. But real love—as opposed to lust, infatuation, attraction, desire, appreciation, or any of the other ways we use the word love in the English language—is something focused on restoration and redemption. We live in a broken world, contributing in our own ways to that brokenness.

To be loved by God is to let him fix that brokenness. To love others the way God loves them is to step into the muck and lead others to the God that will fix their brokenness. Love is hard. Very hard.

We have all the support structures of discipleship I’ve discussed in previous weeks to give us the help we need, because we really need it. As we explore how to live out this calling of love over the next few weeks, don’t forget to seek out that help. As much as we are called to share God’s love with others, we need his love in our own lives, working on our own brokenness.

Challenge: Is there an element of brokenness in your life—a relationship, a habit, a state of mind—that you’ve been clinging to? Let Jesus in.