Discipleship
is not the boring and joyless burden of bible study, prayer and attending
church services until we are called home to heaven and fighting the temptation
to find happiness and pleasure in the ways of the world. It is the exciting journey of being in
communication with our Heavenly Father - it is the abundant life filled with
unspeakable joy and the peace that is beyond human understanding.
The
good news of salvation is not only that we will go to heaven when we die but
that we can live in heaven here on earth even when it feels like it is hell at
times. Jesus died a horrible death on the cross to give us the power to
overcome our fear of death and suffering. This is graphically described to us
in Hebrews 11:34-40
“But
others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They
placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at,
and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some
died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the
sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and
oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over
deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
All
these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them
received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for
us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.”
We
owe a huge debt to these heroes of faith for showing us that the gospel is not
about having a good life of happiness health and wealth here on earth but about
bringing God’s Kingdom of Love, Joy and Peace from heaven to earth. To follow
Jesus is to learn to live fully in God’s presence trusting that the God who
gives us life is in the midst of all that life throws at us. We are called to
be living witnesses of God’s power and love by putting all our trust in Christ.1
But
all of us are imperfect creatures who are being made perfect in love. Each of
us is empowered to live in the presence of God by the power of the Holy Spirit
through our faith in Jesus Christ. And through our example of faith we are to
lead others to be similarly empowered.
Each
of us is the greatest miracle for we are the children of God with the power of
love to heal the world. The problem is that we tend to be the mirrors of one
another’s fears, anger, greed, lust and doubts instead of being the windows of
God’s love, mercy and grace. We are comfortable to remain children of God
instead of growing up to become soldiers of Christ in the spiritual warfare
raging around us.
Let us encourage one another to develop the full
potential of God’s love in each of us and to refrain from criticizing,
comparing or competing with one another. There cannot be any sibling rivalry in
God’s family. Each one of us has a special and unique relationship with our
Heavenly Father. We will all experience God’s love differently and in different
ways. Let us cultivate the joy of sharing stories of our adventure of faith as
we follow Jesus Christ our Shepherd of Love.
References:
1.
Matthew Charlton, Upper Room Reflections, 22nd May 2012
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