This blog post might be somewhat spiritually challenging and hard to chew. Most people I know may not have this revelation or understanding, or at least, people my age are not vocal about it. I am not saying I know it all; however, I feel like I need to share what God has placed in my heart and what has shaped my thinking. I am going to dive into the topics of being a believer and being a disciple of Christ.
My dad and I had a deep conversation about Faith and he proposed this question that had me shook, “Are you a believer or are you a disciple?” When he said that, I was left speechless because it made me think deeply of my walk with Christ. Am I walking according to His will and purpose in my life? Am I being intentional and authentic with my faith walk? Am I a lukewarm Christian? So many questions had begun to stir in my head, and it propelled me to think deeper and look internally.
With this question, one thing came to mind – Jesus only discipled 12. Throughout the Gospels, we read about Jesus performing miracles and teaching to multitudes, but He further explains the parables to the twelve disciples only.
In Mark 4, Jesus teaches the “Parable of the Sower.” He first talks to the multitude, but then when He was alone with the disciples He goes into the deeper meaning about the parable. More specifically in verses 33 – 34, Jesus says “…He explained all things to His disciples.” Reading that, I can’t help but think, is it not just enough to believe? I believe Jesus did this for a specific reason.
As a Christian, we have to be active in our faith. James 2: 14 – 26, talks about how “Faith Without Works is Dead.” This passage is a great heart check to realign our actions and thoughts. It is a constant reminder to be in active pursuit of strengthening our faith. Reading verse 19 was very convicting because it says “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble!” This verse is so powerful because satan, demons, and evil principalities know the power of the living God- even they tremble! If we are believing in God, but not activating our faith, then we are spiritually ‘dead.’
When we believe, we are saved and we have eternal life in heaven, but we are not walking in the authority or power that God has given us because we are not exercising our faith. Our faith has to work in accordance with our works and actions. Verse 24 clearly explains this saying “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” In Other Words, James is telling us just because we are a ‘good person’ or saved does not mean that we have activated our faith.
If you are asking yourself, “What is works?” or “How can I build my faith?” The answer is simply the bible. It is the daily committed walk to spending time with God. It is living out to the best of our ability to live with a Christ-like mentality. It is obeying the voice of God, and not leaning on our own understanding, but His. It is loving other people, when it is hard to love. It is living our life as best as we could in honoring and glorifying God. In the end, it is having that relationship with God, because Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with the Father in Heaven.
I was reading an article from Billy Graham and I think He explained it so well about what it means to be a disciple. He explains that being a disciple is someone who is willing to put God’s word into action. A person who brings the Bible into their everyday life and is seeking to follow Jesus.
As I close off, I just want to encourage everyone to internally look at your spiritual walk with Christ. Ask yourself, “Am I just Believing or am I being a disciple of Christ?” “Am I allowing God to be the center?” “Am I putting His words into action in my life?” Ask yourself these questions and ask the Holy Spirit to continue to work in us (examine our thoughts, intentions, and motives and to transform our hearts and minds from the inside out), so He can work through us. In the days that we are living in, we have to grow in our walk with God and spiritually fill ourselves with the Word so we can navigate through the dark times. If you are feeling like you have struggled with just fully committing to the Lord, ask for the Holy Spirit to guide you, and to repent for not spending time with Him. Ask God to increase your Faith in Him and ask Him to strengthen you so that you can walk in His purpose for your life. God is a jealous God who wants to get to know you and be in every aspect of your life.
The last scripture I want to close off with is Mark 8:34. In Mark, Jesus says “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” This means that whoever wants to be in pursuit of Jesus, we need to take up our cross. Taking up our cross, is not bowing down to our flesh but to turn to God. It is to bind all the temptation and sins that come with being human and pinning it to the cross and live with the mindset like Christ in Luke 22:42 “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” It is allowing God to do His will in our lives and not go on with life on our own understanding.
Written by Keilani Mayo