For what Its worth....
It is risky business...
Authenticity in our Christian walk is sadly a niche quality.
Radical Discipleship? Nice term but is that all to it?
Some Christians have this misconception that disciplemaking is about being successful in their ministries - reflected in the "more" they think they can do for God, sometimes even to think that God needs them to help Him along the way. Often I hear leaders in churches or preachers talk about discipleship. To step out of your comfort zone. To be zealous and passionate for God. In the western world, it is easy to talk about discipleship and disciplemaking - where death is not imminent, streets are safer.
I don't believe the being radical in discipleship means becoming an overzealous extremist.
BUT, I believe it IS about living our lives to the full. The crucial factor isn't where we are, what we are doing or how much we are doing. The crucial factor is to know that GOD calls us to FULL SURRENDER, wherever we are, whatever we are doing in our adventure of life - and maximising ALL our gifts for His glory demonstrating authentic biblical living.
Lately, I have been asked by many people why I am no longer practising law. I have also been asked why I am not pursuing my career in the marketplace.
With every "big" question like that, I don't have the answers. I only know deep in my heart that only one thing matters : God's in control and each day, it is about delighting in the joy of loving Jesus - which then adds to my perspective of what has real substance and value to everyday of my life.
I woke up today asking myself about the things that have an impact on my heart. Media and Popular Culture ranks top. The insidious impact of such in its subtle way define me on such shallow terms in what I wear, what i listen to, what i watch, what i eat, how I see relationships, who i know, how much i know, where I study, what I study, how much I earn etc..
Its sad but yet refreshing to know what can sometimes erode who I am and dilute my passion, conviction for what has real value and substance.
I discovered that RADICAL DISCIPLESHIP is not all talk and ideas we can do to pursue in disciplemaking. It is to embrace knowing that He gave EVERYTHING for me, He KNOWS what is BEST for me, then surely it makes sense giving it all back to Him to use for His purposes and for His glory. For me, it means that my life needs to match up to the words I profess to believe.
When I think of God, and I see people around me, sometimes I feel as Christians and as a church and as an individual I am so far removed from the reality of the society. We talk alot about discipleship and disciplemaking, and we profess to live by the Word and to hunger to grow deep in the Word. Yet, sometimes we are so pathetically marginal to the life of our broken world, that the WORD becomes so inconsequential to our lives.
I feel I have lost that cutting edge for this broken world. More so I am saddened that my daily experience of Christ is so much far removed from leaving the safety of my own harbour of nice church, nice ministry. Have I lost the core of what mattered most to me? That sense of losing that cutting edge and vitality in my passion for God and people. Today I felt sad. I told my sis I felt sad. Not knowing exactly why. I guess its that kingdom perspective of missions. I guess its that dream to be smack in the centre of cutting edge social work and turning the hearts of the oppressed, poor and those who are suffering back to the Father.
This sense of sadness, and being on muddy waters for me is making me think about my core and deep passions as a person. The one thing that I cannot lose in my core being. Faced with such a bleak analysis, I find my daily experience of loving Jesus rather limited to a privatisation of my faith.
I am experiencing the consequence of such a privatised faith where Christ's lordship is restricted to certain times and places in my compartmentalised life. Engaging in PDA lifestyle within the cell, has a big impact on me - just making me think alot about my own life. Making me realise I cannot privatise my faith to that of my compartmentalised life.
What attracts the people out there is not the hypocrisy of sunday religion; they are attracted by a dynamic daily relationship which embraces the need to survive in the pressurised world and the challenges of day to day living.
My problem and a long stupid question I have asked myself is not why am I not pursuing a corporate career and where am I supposed to be. The problem doesn't lie in the fact that we are in the wrong place - Rather, we are NOT living out the reality of our faith where we are. Following Jesus isn't about being nice, says one radical disciple of His. It is about accepting a call and trusting God's power to be unleashed in our lives. If being nice is our highest aspiration, the gospel is emasculated and becomes simply life-enhancing instead of life-transforming
A wise man once reminded me that if our greatest virtue is that we don't offend anyone, then there will be no potency or passion in our message or movement, which ends up being okay news instead of the BEST news in the world.
May we all be awestruck by Him, and choose to live and give our utmost for His Highest!
And we settle for nothing less..
"Radical discipleship is a call to live our lives to the full, with the call to full surrender. He wants our everything, not to limit us or stop us from enjoying life, rather to release us into Hs appointed calling." - Guillebaud
Many hearts are hungry, Many lives are broken.....and they need Jesus...
It is risky business...
Authenticity in our Christian walk is sadly a niche quality.
Radical Discipleship? Nice term but is that all to it?
Some Christians have this misconception that disciplemaking is about being successful in their ministries - reflected in the "more" they think they can do for God, sometimes even to think that God needs them to help Him along the way. Often I hear leaders in churches or preachers talk about discipleship. To step out of your comfort zone. To be zealous and passionate for God. In the western world, it is easy to talk about discipleship and disciplemaking - where death is not imminent, streets are safer.
I don't believe the being radical in discipleship means becoming an overzealous extremist.
BUT, I believe it IS about living our lives to the full. The crucial factor isn't where we are, what we are doing or how much we are doing. The crucial factor is to know that GOD calls us to FULL SURRENDER, wherever we are, whatever we are doing in our adventure of life - and maximising ALL our gifts for His glory demonstrating authentic biblical living.
Lately, I have been asked by many people why I am no longer practising law. I have also been asked why I am not pursuing my career in the marketplace.
With every "big" question like that, I don't have the answers. I only know deep in my heart that only one thing matters : God's in control and each day, it is about delighting in the joy of loving Jesus - which then adds to my perspective of what has real substance and value to everyday of my life.
I woke up today asking myself about the things that have an impact on my heart. Media and Popular Culture ranks top. The insidious impact of such in its subtle way define me on such shallow terms in what I wear, what i listen to, what i watch, what i eat, how I see relationships, who i know, how much i know, where I study, what I study, how much I earn etc..
Its sad but yet refreshing to know what can sometimes erode who I am and dilute my passion, conviction for what has real value and substance.
I discovered that RADICAL DISCIPLESHIP is not all talk and ideas we can do to pursue in disciplemaking. It is to embrace knowing that He gave EVERYTHING for me, He KNOWS what is BEST for me, then surely it makes sense giving it all back to Him to use for His purposes and for His glory. For me, it means that my life needs to match up to the words I profess to believe.
When I think of God, and I see people around me, sometimes I feel as Christians and as a church and as an individual I am so far removed from the reality of the society. We talk alot about discipleship and disciplemaking, and we profess to live by the Word and to hunger to grow deep in the Word. Yet, sometimes we are so pathetically marginal to the life of our broken world, that the WORD becomes so inconsequential to our lives.
I feel I have lost that cutting edge for this broken world. More so I am saddened that my daily experience of Christ is so much far removed from leaving the safety of my own harbour of nice church, nice ministry. Have I lost the core of what mattered most to me? That sense of losing that cutting edge and vitality in my passion for God and people. Today I felt sad. I told my sis I felt sad. Not knowing exactly why. I guess its that kingdom perspective of missions. I guess its that dream to be smack in the centre of cutting edge social work and turning the hearts of the oppressed, poor and those who are suffering back to the Father.
This sense of sadness, and being on muddy waters for me is making me think about my core and deep passions as a person. The one thing that I cannot lose in my core being. Faced with such a bleak analysis, I find my daily experience of loving Jesus rather limited to a privatisation of my faith.
I am experiencing the consequence of such a privatised faith where Christ's lordship is restricted to certain times and places in my compartmentalised life. Engaging in PDA lifestyle within the cell, has a big impact on me - just making me think alot about my own life. Making me realise I cannot privatise my faith to that of my compartmentalised life.
What attracts the people out there is not the hypocrisy of sunday religion; they are attracted by a dynamic daily relationship which embraces the need to survive in the pressurised world and the challenges of day to day living.
My problem and a long stupid question I have asked myself is not why am I not pursuing a corporate career and where am I supposed to be. The problem doesn't lie in the fact that we are in the wrong place - Rather, we are NOT living out the reality of our faith where we are. Following Jesus isn't about being nice, says one radical disciple of His. It is about accepting a call and trusting God's power to be unleashed in our lives. If being nice is our highest aspiration, the gospel is emasculated and becomes simply life-enhancing instead of life-transforming
A wise man once reminded me that if our greatest virtue is that we don't offend anyone, then there will be no potency or passion in our message or movement, which ends up being okay news instead of the BEST news in the world.
May we all be awestruck by Him, and choose to live and give our utmost for His Highest!
And we settle for nothing less..
"Radical discipleship is a call to live our lives to the full, with the call to full surrender. He wants our everything, not to limit us or stop us from enjoying life, rather to release us into Hs appointed calling." - Guillebaud
Many hearts are hungry, Many lives are broken.....and they need Jesus...
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