Disciple?

These past days, the Lord has been showing me a lot of things...particularly around one central concept of the Bible. Discipleship.

What does it mean to be a disciple? What does it mean when Christ tells us that if we are to follow Him, we must pick up our cross...and yet His burden is light and easy?

Contradictory? Perhaps not.

Let me ask you an honest question, have you ever seen someone who's life is just abounding in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control, every second of their lives? Have you ever met someone who can't help but just love, when they're given the one fingered salute, four letter song, or a knife in the back? What about the guy who doesn't ever mind to walk two miles when forced to walk one?

Did Jesus really mean it when He told us that we can be that person? Cuz in all honesty, I'm not that someone described up there.

But I think Christ had every intention for us to change. That I may not love the Lord my God with ALL my heart and ALL my soul and ALL my mind and ALL my strength...yet. But I'm in the process of His grace working in me.

I'm reading a lot these days, and hopefully I can share more later, but here's one insight that really hit me today because I find it so true.

Here is an excerpt from Dallas Willard:

Grace is God acting in our lives to bring about what we do not deserve and cannot accomplish on our own. But we are not passive in this process. We are commanded to put off the old person and put on the new. (Col. 3:9-10; Eph. 4:22-24) We are told to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (II Peter 3:18) This is something for us to do, and, although we cannot do it on our own, it will not be done for us. Being alive in Christ means that we can do whatever it is we need to do to increasingly take on his character and live in his power.

That idea...we cannot do it on our own, yet it will not be done for us. So many Christians recognize the fact that we cannot change on our own, but at the same time, neglect to do anything thinking that is what total surrender may be. We think grace is just letting God take control of everything and to be passive...and that is dangerous, especially when God intends for us to be active in the process.

Discipleship...