Impulsiveness or Discipleship?

It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord knows me better than I know myself.

I was reading this morning in Oswald Chamber's book "My Utmost for His Highest". I am a few days behind for the daily reading and I haven't had a chance to catch up yet. I decided to open to today's reading and the words seemed to jump off the page and into my heart.

"Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness (confidence), but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is something altogether different. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he "followed Him at a distance" on dry land. But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire. (Mark 15:54).

We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises...human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently. But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus.

It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God...but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people...and this is not learned in five minutes."

I spent last evening with a small group "bible" study. There was a woman there who just wanted to talk and talk and talk. She outright admitted that she did not read her bible every day and had no such desire to do so. She also said that she didn't understand it when she did read it. But she was constantly pointing her finger at us and accusing us of being intolerant of other's beliefs.

My first impulse was to tell her that she was doing the exact same thing that she was accusing the group of doing. She was being intolerant of us. I wanted to be "bold" and tell her a thing or two of what the word of God says. But I bit my tongue and sat there silent and let the leader handle the situation. I woke up in the wee hours this morning thinking back on the events of the night before and asking the Lord if I reacted the way He would have me react. I got my answer in the reading for today!

One with Christ Jesus

Because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19)

Jesus has made the life of believers in Him as certain as His own. As sure as the Head lives the members live also. If Jesus has not risen from the dead, then are we dead in our sins; but since He has risen, all believers are risen in Him. His death has put away our transgressions and loosed the bonds which held us under the death sentence. His resurrection proves our justification: we are absolved, and mercy saith, "The Lord hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die."

Jesus has made the life of His people as eternal as His own. How can they die as long as He lives, seeing they are one with Him? Because He dieth no more, and death hath no more dominion over Him, so they shall no more return to the graves of their old sins but shall live unto the Lord in newness of life. O believer, when, under great temptation, thou fearest that thou shalt one day fall by the hand of the enemy, let this reassure thee. Thou shalt never lose thy spiritual life, for it is hid with Christ in God. Thou dost not doubt the immortality of thy Lord; therefore, do not think that He will let thee die, since thou art one with Him. The argument for thy life is His life, and of that thou canst have no fear; wherefore rest in thy living Lord.