Jesus talked about discipleship a lot, yet few Christians understand what it is. We’ve heard about the “cost of discipleship” paid by the martyrs and saints of antiquity, and it’s easy to view discipleship as graduate level studies for those who are serious about their faith. Jesus had a different perspective. He understood discipleship to be Christianity 101–the basic lifestyle of his followers. And Jesus saw it as a life of blessings, not burdens. He once told a crowd, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
How God changes lives, Part 4: An indestructible life
1 Timothy 4:7 tells us to train ourselves to be godly. We know how training works in the physical realm–bookstores are filled with best-sellers telling us how to get in shape–but what does spiritual training look like?
Hearing God
Have you ever prayed to God about something you really needed an answer for, something important, but heard no answer? Our tendency during such times is to think God is not speaking to us, but what I’ve learned is that most of the time the problem is on my end. All parents are familiar with the concept of selective hearing, but I’ve found this sometimes describes my relationship with God as well. When I suffer from spiritual deafness, I’ve found two simple questions that help me get unstuck:
The First Christmas
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.