Cost of Discipleship
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross
and follow me. Matthew 16:24
For by grace
are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not
of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s was a
conscientious objector to Hitler's genocidal of the Jews. This path led to his
imprisonment and martyrdom. His life has inspired and influenced the lives of
many people all over the world. One of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s most popular books
is the Cost of Discipleship. It is
considered a Christian Classic. It was published during the time of Nazi
Germany. In the book he speaks of Cheap Vs Costly grace
Cheap grace
is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance. Cheap grace is
grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus
Christ. He says grace is costly because it compels a man to submit to the yoke of Christ and
follow him; it is grace because Jesus says: "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Cognitive
dissonance is a swanky word that psychologists like to use for hypocrites. It is
when there are two conflicting ideas in the mind. I believe God forgives, but
there is no need to repent or change my ways.
I am a Christian but I don’t want to practice any of the teachings of
Christ. If there is no discipline when you profess to being a disciple there is
cognitive dissonance.
Much has
been said about cognitive dissonance and how Christians like to create a
spiritual world that science is unable to prove. But when we see the lives of
so many Christians who are able to see the need to object to the atrocities or
evils of the world or serve the poor and downtrodden, because of their faith in
Christ, then one begins to realize that there is something more to in being a
Christian.
Jesus empowers
us by his grace to find the cross he wants us to bear, through serving, caring,
loving, praying, speaking, and giving. In so doing we allow Gods love to shower
abundantly in our lives and Holy
Spirit produces fruit in our lives of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against
these things! –Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
Prayer :
Lord Jesus, I pray that you will show me the cross you have for me to bear. Let me not
try to grab another, or think another is what I want. But in love and humility
accept the cross you have for me to bear as a sacrifice and an offering to God in my daily walk with you. Amen
2 comments:
When we follow Christ it means we put aside our own sinful desires and worldly lusts everyday and look to Christ the author and perfector of lives who enables us to cheerfully and prayerfully bear the shame or pain that comes in doing so.
Not only should we attempt to carry a cross that matches our skills and capabilities,but they should be aligned with Jesus's message of love, peace and goodwill toward all. If we serve in a Christian institution our abilities should be aligned with the needs of the institution and the community we are called to serve.Jesus says we consider the costs as well as the dangers involved when we are called to serve. In the long run we are called to not grow slack or afraid of the cross we are called to carry.
We must allow Jesus to mold us to the unprecedented challenges caused by the unpredictability of the community, political environment and institution we are called to serve. We will find that communities and the institution we live and serve in are often slow and trapped in wrong value systems.
Finding innovative ways to stay in touch with the pulse of the community, and responding quickly to problems that they face will speed up the process of change in people.
If you are serving in an organizations that is rapidly growing, they are required to recruit larger number of employees, in the process the new recruits may not necessarily be able to identify with the mission and values of the institution. The old way of serving the community may not necessarily be the need of the hour. Although efficient the institution loses its flexibility.
Finding ways to communicate to the all the staff the mission, vision, and core values of the institution, and enabling the staff to also join in the decision making process (participatory approach) will go a long way to see to the proper running of the institution.
Pray that we may be his true disciples who are the good salt of the earth to flavor persons all across the institution with the love of Christ
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