When you were a kid, you might have had a parent say, ‘If you eat your vegetables, then you are allowed to watch TV/play.’ In the Torah, in the book of Deuteronomy 28:58, God gave the Israelites a choice between blessings and curses. In John 8:32-33, Jesus also told his followers who started with him the necessity of continuing with him. It is a similar if-then principle. Can you locate other passages where Jesus talks about this priority?
Before Jesus ascended, he gave his followers the order to make disciples of all nations. Look up the scripture verses that support this. Being a disciple consists of 3 parts: spiritual discipline, missionary activity, and justice. Spiritual discipline enables us to set aside time to listen to God’s voice. The believer should work on memorizing scripture for their spiritual data bank, so it can be easily drawn upon when needed. When you’re in crisis, you usually won’t have your Bible with you, so it is helpful to memorize scripture. When you read the gospels, Jesus spent some time in prayer. Can you identify some passages?
Missionary activity involves getting to know people in the community through close relationships, helping them when needed (such as dog walking or babysitting), and inviting them to the church/bible study. The idea of justice involves more than one person. In the 1980s, Ceaser Chavez was with the migrant farm workers, and they boycotted the grape growers for fair wages. When other organizations got involved, they were successful.
Some Christian denominations focus on salvation but don’t emphasize being a disciple. It is the idea that once I’m saved, all I have to do is wait to get to heaven, and in the meantime, I can do whatever I want. In 1 Colossians 10, apostle Paul writes that you must live your life in a way that is pleasing to God. Do you know what we are called to? We are called to holiness as a way of life. Orthodox Judaism instructs followers to adhere to a specific dress code, eat certain foods, and observe specific scriptural tenets as a way of life.
If you start with Jesus, will you continue despite life’s hardships and obstacles? The choice is yours, as sung in the Godspell lyrics: “day by day”.
Mary Bludnicki