“The cost of discipleship is real, but the cost of non-discipleship is a life that never improves and stays stuck in relational breakdown and personal strife.”- Bob Merritt
As Bob Merritt continues Chapter 1 of Done With That, he observes that it’s hard to let certain little annoyances go for the sake of relationships. Furthermore, as you gain more responsibility the tests get tougher. Also, you need greater self-control.
Yet, the alternative is to stay stuck, keep offending, never improve, and failing to achieve. Therefore, in order to say done with that, Pastor Merritt offers two realities. The author covers the first reality today.
1. You never stop growing. In fact, Pastor Merritt observes, something happens the more you shine the light of God’s truth on your ‘old life.’ You find out how much more work you need to do.
For example, consider what happens when you peel an onion. After you peel away one layer, you discover a deeper, more hidden layer to deal with. Perhaps you never knew it existed.
Writing in The Spirit of the Disciplines, Christian philosopher Dallas Willard notes that the word disciple appears in the New Testament 269 times. However, the word Christian appears only three times. Above all, disciples faithfully maintain their disciplines because they dedicate their lives to Jesus. Finally, as Dallas Willard explains, these disciplines provide a pathway to personal as well as relational wholeness. He writes:
“These is almost universal belief in the immense difficulty of being a real Christian. The vast, grim cost of discipleship is something we hear constantly emphasized. . . . But it must not be left to stand as the whole truth. We would do far better to lay a clear, consistent emphasis upon the cost of non-discipleship as well.”
Today’s question: At this time, do you feel stuck in relational breakdown and personal strife? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Loving ways in action – like them too!”
