DISCIPLESHIP: A JOURNEY TOGETHER

Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. The discipleship ideal has been found difficult and left untried. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” This kind of love will possibly lead to the bloody, anguish gift of yourself - a love that forgives ‘seven times seven’ times, keeping no record of wrongs. This is our standard of discipleship’

 When Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened" (Mt 11:28-30), He knew that we would grow weary, discouraged, and disheartened along the way. Jesus knew that following Him was as unsentimental as duty, as demanding as love. The command to follow requires that we take a daily journey in the company of other students. It demands that we be lifelong learners committed to constant growth in our spiritual maturity.

To me, Christian discipleship is more than an acknowledgement of God’s existence or a statement of belief regarding God. It is about loving God – a total devotion, head-over-heals-in-love and adoration. There is the deep desire to know God, to be one with God and to worship God. Discipleship is also a journey of "we.” As disciples of Christ, we live out of our understanding of who we are in relationship to God, to one another, and to the world. The Christian life is our response to God’s love and grace. Together, we live out the Christian faith that is grounded in the love and grace of God, experienced through Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

As Christian disciples, we focus on actively following in the footsteps of Jesus. We are not passive spectators but energetic participants in God’s activity in the world. Because of what God has done for us, we offer our lives back to God. We order our lives in ways that embody Christ’s ministry in our families, workplaces, communities, and the world.