Thursday, September 20, 2007

Pondering 'Ordinary' Discipleship

I often ponder the nature and meaning of "discipleship." The cost of discipleship appeals to me, perhaps because I love a challenge. But that is based upon human zeal, and human zeal will not take a person very far.

Oswald Chambers reminds us that "discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on the water is easy to impulsive pluck, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is a different thing."

"We do not need the grace of God to stand crises -- human nature and pride are sufficient. We can face the strain magnificently; but it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours in every day as a saint, to go through drudgery as a disciple, to live an ordinary, unobserved, ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in [ordinary] paths, among [ordinary] people, and this is not learned in five minutes."