Just Wearing the Uniform?
When I was younger, back in the olden days (as my kids would say), I was a boy scout – Pack 5 for life, baby!. The funny thing is, I rarely attended the weekly meetings, I did shoddy work on the merit badge lessons and projects, I rarely read the Boy Scout book/manual to learn how to be a boy scout, and I never had an aspiration of pursuing the highest goal of being a boy scout – eagle scout. I didn’t like the work of being a boy scout; I just liked wearing the uniform, saying that I was part of Pack 5, and going on the fun quarterly camping trips. What kind of boy scout was I? To my chagrin, not a very good one.
This started me thinking about our relationship with Jesus. Do we attend the weekly gatherings of believers in worship and growth communities? Are we full of good works that flow out of our relationship with Jesus? Are we spending unhurried times alone with Jesus? Are we reading the book that feeds our soul and helps us survive in our ungodly and turbulent world? Are we daily pursuing the highest goal of every believer – the likeness of Jesus, our Messiah and Lord? Are we really good disciples? Or, do we just like wearing the uniform and doing the “fun stuff” of following Jesus?
What kind of disciple is it that never or rarely loves (John 13:34-35), meets with other believers (Acts 2:42-44), reads her Bible (John 8:31-33), spends time with the Leader of the pack to become more like him (Mark 3:13-15; Romans 8:28-29) or daily shoulders the burden of being associated with Jesus (Luke 9:23-24)? Probably not a very good. But, it doesn’t have be this way. If we have failed, we can begin again today. Start by spending time alone with Jesus in prayer and reading the Bible. Ask him to revive your soul and renew your commitment to follow him more closely. This week, let’s do more than wear the uniform. Let’s truly be whom our uniform identifies us as – disciples, followers indeed!
What impacted you most about this post? What are some changes you would like to make? How can I pray for you regarding these changes?
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Tags: Discipleship
May 25th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
As a 21 year-old man, being in and out of church, it was not until I was in college that someone with Campus Outreach (based in Montgomery, Al) explained that we go to church to praise and worship. It would take my future wife to explain the fellowship component. I still struggle with the latter, not being a fan of pretentious small-talk. But that's a personal problem of not being a "people person," trying to love everyone as myself.
You might know the lyrics from Sho Baraka's "Good Day II Die":
"Wake up in the morning gotta thank God / Next thing I do, Luke 9 (:23) / Gotta lose my life daily, bear my cross / Sow my soul years ago but still count the cost / When I walk in the Spirit, I have the mind of Christ / There's no doubt in my mind, the flesh gon' die tonight"
Good stuff. Pray that I figure out a way to efficiently carve out a time for the Lord. My life is imbalanced in that way.
May 25th, 2010 at 8:06 pm
I grew up in a Christian home so I am very well versed in how to talk the talk. Walking the talk, however, has always been a struggle. When I am in tune with God, life is peaceful; and when I’m not in tune with God and I let the everyday hectic schedule over run the time I spend with God, peace dissipates in my heart and turmoil starts controlling my life — all aspects of it. This is where I am right now. Sometimes I feel as if I’m drowning and its too late to get back on track — luckily those breaths from Satan are temporary and its posts such as this that I hear God telling me it all starts with baby steps.
I am a single mom of two kids with no help from the fathers. It is indeed a struggle to not only keep myself strengthened but to work to instill the best values and direction I can into my kids. I need prayer that I may remember that anything I’ve done can be, and has been forgiven by God, and that I need to get back on track with God by taking those baby steps which means I need to let the old self go, full clothe myself in the new self, and start walking the talk.