Reflection
There is no such thing as a secret disciple of Jesus. Lives of love, nonviolence, and witnessing to the values of the gospel may bring ridicule and intolerance to us. A true disciple of Jesus is one who lives the Gospel message in a way that is visible. It means being willing, by our enfleshing of his teachings, to accept being thought naïve and foolish. This requires commitment to the values of the gospel and to living this commitment so that it will impact others. To be a disciple of Jesus then, is to strive to be like him.
Prayer
O God, you called us in order to make us like our Lord Jesus Christ. Change us, day by day, by the work of your Holy Spirit so that we may grow more like him in all that we think and say and do, to his glory.
Soren Kirkegaard
Action
As I examine my daily life do I see ways in which my discipleship is not visible? Why? What can I do to change this? What can I do to make the witness I do give more visible?
Suggested Reading
Brothers and sisters:
I am not ashamed of the Gospel.
It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:
for Jew first, and then Greek.
For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith;
as it is written, “The one who is righteous by faith will live.”
Romans 1:16
Be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Corinthians 11:1
Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey.
Pope Francis
Many Christians have what we might call a “cultural holiness”. They adapt to the character and behavior pattern of Christians around them. As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy. But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like himself. Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.
Jerry Bridges
Disciples are people whose lives are transformed as they continually seek to pattern their lives after the example and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Community of Christ
Those who teach by their doctrine must teach by their life, or else they pull down with one hand what they build up with the other.
Matthew Henry
If he have faith, the believer cannot be restrained. He betrays himself. He breaks out. He confesses and teaches this gospel to the people at the risk of life itself.
Martin Luther
Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you.
Dallas Willard
Thriving churches have the Great Commission as the centerpiece of their vision, while dying churches have forgotten the clear command of Christ.
Thom S. Rainer
The question confronting the Church today is not any longer whether the man in the street can grasp a religious message, but how to employ the communications media so as to let him have the full impact of the Gospel message.
Pope John Paul II
We reduce discipleship to a canned program, and so many in the church end up sidelined in a spectator mentality that delegates disciple making to pastors and professionals, ministers and missionaries.
Francis Chan