True Discipleship

[Before you read this, you should know that the words I say may upset you. I believe God has put this on my heart to share. If you get offended, remember that no one forced you to read it, it was your choice.]

I'm angry. I'm angry with myself and I'm angry with every Christian out there who hasn't fully lived up the the name they've taken. I'm angry that I've wasted part of my life and put a damper on the great name of Christ. I'm angry that I would get so comfortable in my own little world that I would lose sight of the amazing purpose God has for me. I'm angry that I've let all those opportunities God gave to me to share with these love-starved people go to waste. I'm angry that I haven't given myself to Him, that I haven't truly suffered over my Christianity. I haven't truly had to suffer for my Jesus.
But why? Why don't we suffer? Why aren't we willing? Why? Selfishness. Materialism. Fake Christianity. First century Christians who truly suffered and who were martyred for their outspoken faith would roll over in their graves to see what the church of America has done to the name of Christianity as a whole; what we've done to the name of Christ.
They were thrown into prison. They were beaten. They were stoned. They were persecuted. They suffered. The knew what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. They lived up to their name. They were happy when they had to suffer because it meant that God would bless them when they got to Heaven. Because they were following in His steps. We are to do as Jesus would do. He suffered. He was beaten, spit on, rejected, and killed on the cross. And during all of this, He prayed for those who were doing it to Him. Are you living out your faith so much as to suffer for it?
What have you had to suffer through for your Jesus? What pains have come through doing what is necessary to follow your Jesus? What are you doing about your faith? Are you truly living up to what it means to be a disciple? Or are you just helping to smear the name? I've had to ask myself these questions and I'm disappointed to know the answers. I haven't truly suffered. I haven't truly lived up to it. I haven't truly learned what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Till now.
I think everyone by now has long known of our moving to Guatemala. For those of you who don't yet know, we plan to leave Ohio on January 12th. Yeah, that's 2 months away.
I'm not trying to brag, or to make people think good of us, but I am saying that we're doing something. We're giving up most of what we have, leaving everyone we've ever known, leaving everything we've ever known to move to a place I've never even set foot in. I'm finally learning what it means to suffer for Him. It feels good. Yeah, it's hard. Yeah, it's scary, but SO worth it! I'm finally learning what it means to be a servant of God.
So I challenge you. I challenge you to give up something, do something, say something that's gonna make you suffer. (for Christ, obviously) I dare you. Live up to what it truly means to be a disciple. Learn what it truly means to follow In His Steps.
In His Steps is a book that totally shook me up. I'd definitely recommend it. It's written by Charles M. Sheldon. In it he challenges every Christian to take up a pledge. For one whole year, ask the question, "What would Jesus do?" before any decision is made. It'll challenge you as a business owner, a parent, an employee, a friend, sibling, child, or unemployed worker. It'll challenge you, not matter what your title may be, to truly be honest. To truly re-think all your previous ways of living.
Are you a true disciple of Jesus Christ? Are you willing to follow His call, not matter what the suffering may be? If not, then stop calling yourself a Christian. Live up to what you say you believe, or don't say it at all.

‎"There is a great quantity of nominal Christianity today. There is need of more of the real kind. We need revival of the Christianity of Christ. We have, unconsciously, lazily, selfishly, formally grown into a discipleship that Jesus Himself would not acknowledge. He would say to many of us when we cry, 'Lord, Lord,' '...I never knew you!' Are we ready to take up the cross? Is it possible for this church to sing with exact truth,
'Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee'?


"If we can sing that truly, then we may claim discipleship. But if our definition of being a Christian is no expense to our...selves, have a good, easy time surrounded by pleasant friends and by comfortable things, live respectably and at the same time avoid the world's great stress of sin and trouble because it is too much pain to bear it-if this is our definition of Christianity, surely we are a long way from following the steps of Him who trod the way with groans and tears and sobs of anguish for a lost humanity; Who seat, as it were, great drops of blood; Who cried out on the upreared cross, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'
Are we ready to make and live a new discipleship? Are we ready to reconsider our definition of a Christian? What is it to be a Christian? It is to do as He would do. It is to walk in His steps." -Charles M. Sheldon from In His Steps.