What are you a disciple of?

Matt. 16:23 "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

I don't know what we think being a disciple in the evangelical and mainstream church means - but I often struggle to believe it looks like what Jesus describes in the Gospels.  It seems to me that being a disciple is an unconditional surrender of ones entire life to Jesus.  It seems that becoming a disciple is a radical re-orientation of ones priorities, time, energy, and vision to align completely with the person of Jesus.  One question that I think can be helpful in determining what you are a disciple of is this one:  What forces or powers or people direct your major decisions about your life?  What forces or powers or people direct your daily decisions and the use of your time, energy, attention, and money?  The answer to these questions are the answer to what you are a disciple of. 

If I had to answer the above questions on behalf of most well meaning, active folks in the church I would list them as such:

1. Family - for most people the most important force/power/people that determine why they make the major decisions they do is their spouses, children and to a lesser degree their extended families and close friends.  Why are you moving?  Its best for my family.  Why did you get a new job?  Its best for my family.  Why did you join the church?  Its best for my family.  Why the new car, why not give more generously, why not change your schedule, why not serve more faithfully?  Because of my family.  We follow our families before we follow Jesus.

2. Career - This varies of course depending on whether or not you may have a career but I'd put it in the top two forces that determine the major decisions Christians in the church make about their lives.  What brought you to this town?  My job.  Why can't you make it to small group?  I'm working.  Why are you always so tired and irritable?  I use all my energy at work.  What is getting in the way of you being a better parent and spouse?  I work too much.  Our careers and jobs are often what we follow, abide in, and dictate our lives according to. 

        Before I move to the next item, let me make a comment about how the above two forces dominate most of the conflicts that Christian families and individuals encounter.  We can never seem to balance our families and careers the way we want to...its a constant tension.  Many people come to church to "focus on their families" or to "get balance in their lives" between these two forces.  What many Christians don't understand is that Jesus doesn't come to give us balance between our families and careers, he comes to give us a new way to live.

3. Money - Even folks who know money isn't the biggest priority in life tend to make money one of the major forces in their decision making.  How much we work, what kind of work we do, how much we save, our credit crisis, the houses we live in and the cars we drive are often dictated by money.  The bible actually gives money a name as an idol in competition with God - mammon.  Jesus says we have to choose to serve either Him or mammon.  We can't do both.

4. Comfort/health/well being - Rest. Vacation.  A nice house.  Time alone.  Time with my family.  Time at church.  A nice car.  A boat to hang out in.  Weekends with the boys.  Weekends with the girls.  Exercise and diets.  Why do we do all of these things? Usually because we are following our comfort, health, and well being.  Are any of these things bad?  Of course not.  I'm more concerned with the WHY than they WHAT.  Our motivation is to be comfortable, healthy, and well and so we try to add this to the balance of family, career, and money.

5.  God - of course God is on this list!  But its a rare occasion to see Him first.  I know countless people who love Jesus and deeply desire to follow him with more of who they are.  The sense I get, however, is that most do not feel they have the option to follow God wholeheartedly because there are at least 2-4 other forces/powers/people who drive their lives and decisions before God.  What we often forget is that Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and lose our lives SO WE CAN FIND IT.  God wants us to have life and have it to the full.  We fill in the few open spaces in our schedule with God and squeeze our time and energy to the last drop trying to be better Christians never truly reorienting our priorities. What an exhausting and futile task it is to try and fit God anywhere. 

The church is complicit in this broken orientation.  We proclaim a gospel that does not ask people to radically covert their allegiance and priorities but one that asks for a little more time, a little, more money, and a little more effort.  The church is part of the problem. 

Let me close with some good news (gospel).  Jesus loves your family more than you do.  He knows how to love your spouse and kids better than you do.  He knows what decisions will be best for them in this life and in an eternal sense.  Jesus cares about your calling, your gifts, and your passions.  He put them in you in the first place.  He cares that you do meaningful work, work that makes a difference and work that you are satisfied with.  Jesus is concerned with your well being and health, he provides what you need and always wants to do good and not harm to you.  Jesus wants you to be at constant rest and joy in Him, he wants to lead you to a life of abundance and provision in his grace.  EVERYTHING WE PUT BEFORE CHRIST COULD BE BETTER CARED FOR IF WE SURRENDERED THEM TO CHRIST.  When Jesus asks us to deny ourselves and lose our lives for him, he is not asking us to damage our families, careers, comforts, finances, and well being - he is asking to do greater things with all of them than we could ever do ourselves.