Today while walking a dog of a friend I noticed kids being walked to school by their parents. It was interesting to see how the parents were leading their kids to school.
One grandmother was holding the student's backpack in one hand and his arm in the other as she steered him towards school. It was interesting because he kept looking back at me as I walked the dog. He wasn't really resisting being taken to school, but obviously it wasn't his primary focus.
Another parent was leading a very disinterested student to school. The student was a little girl and she acted as if she couldn't care less where she was going. She was being led by her father and she just seemed to be along for the ride with out much enthusiasm for anything.
Another parent was walking by her son, who was skipping and hopping along. I don't know if he was enthusiastic about school, but he certainly was enthusiastic about life that early in the morning.
These three scenarios made me think about the different ways I approach discipleship with Jesus. There are times when I am ready to go, I am raring to go, enthusiastic and can't wait to learn something new about my relationship with Jesus.
There are other times I am reticent, perhaps even a bit despondent about being a disciple. Sometimes I am just not up for proclaiming my Christianity in the way I act and in the way I respond to people. Some may call it compassion fatigue, but the challenge at those moments just seems too overwhelming to deal with.
Even other times I am reluctant, maybe because I have a different focus, maybe because I don't want to go where I am being lead. There are times when I resist my connection with Jesus because the demands require me giving up my own agenda.
Discipleship is really not an option for Christians. If we accept Jesus as Savior, then he needs to be our Lord.
What kind of disciple are you today? Are you a reluctant disciple? Are you a reticent disciple? Or are you a raring-to-go disciple? I pray that we can all be an enthusiastic, hello morning, ready to go disciple. Our time here on earth is limited and as followers of Jesus we need to make the most of our time.
Let's be ready to go where Jesus leads us with expectation, enthusiasm, and commimtment as we celebrate the kingdom of God in our midst.
Kingdom building between Sundays (KBBS),
Pastor Randy
