Sunday, October 29, 2006

Discipleship and Faith

Lately I've been really challenged on how I live as a christian. I beleive that Jesus Christ is lord of my life and that he died for my sin and I want to live a life that puts him in the drivers seat of my life. For me this means a number of important things.

1) I want to reach out to those around me. Proclaiming the truth of the Gospel with my words and my actions.

2) I want to see people catching the fire that I have for the Gospel.

Both points are important for me, and frankly at times I'm crap at both these thing.

In my cell group tonight, one person asked why people did not seem to be doing anything in thier lives. I became very self-righteous in my thought and thought to my-self "Maybe they should think about whether they are a christian or not".

I then realised that maybe this wasn't the right response. Considering how lacking I can be on this point myself. I can be rather timid at times in how I share the Gospel.

We were talking about this and it occured to me that there was a solution for this plight I was having. It is that instead of sitting on my ass, being Judgemental, it is better to solve the problem. When we someone struggling along in thier faith we should be there to help our brother or sister out. We should be willing to pray, to listen, offer guidance and if when suitable rebuke.

God wants us to be teaching one another, sharing in the lives of those around us. We are not individuals on the journey. We are a community of beleivers, sharing in the same goal, to see people come to know Jesus.

I know when I've shared my struggles with others and they have offered me advice I have seen change in growth. The challenge for me in the comming while is to be proactive and available for those around me who are struggling. I want to see people grow closer to God, to love him more passionately, to come into deeper relationship with Jesus, and live for him with enthusaism. This can only be done by spending time with people, praying for them, and being an example of christ to those God gives me spiritual responsibility for. This is a challenging road and one that can not be taken lightly.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cool nathanael. God wants change in our lives - thats proof of meeting jesus - if we arent changing - then we dont know him.
if we arent obedient then we dont love him. Make your closest freindships with real believers - not fakers

awsome stuff! God bless and share the gospel!

Nathanael Baker said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Nathanael Baker said...

Maybe i didn't get my point across

I think at times the fault is more with the christians like me who have been in the faith for a while, but become rather lukewarm to the needs of others. Becoming concerned about personal holiness and purity, but not concerned about the needs of others.

Look at Jesus. His followers did not what he was saying. In one part of Mark he is teaching them that the person who humbles himself like a child will be the one who enters the kingdom. A few verses later the sons of Zebbedee come up to Jesus and ask who will be seated next to him in heaven.

This must of really frustrated Jesus, and must of hurt him a real heck. But he still put effort into them, corrected them.

I want my life focused on seeing people change. That means I will keep on putting effort in, even when people frustrate me, or go off on the wrong track. Becuase I feel that's what Jesus wants