When living in Africa we learnt this song, which seemed to be sung in every place we ever went. It went something like this:
“God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good And that’s His nature.”
This was quickly followed by a long, drawn out, loud and dramatically over-emphasized…
“WOW!’
as each person looked at the others in the room and nodded in a deeply earnest and agreeable way!
It’s fair to say that this is not the most lyrically impressive song I’ve ever sung, but is nonetheless packed full of truth.
I don’t think I have ever questioned whether God is good. It’s something I’ve always believed to be true. Regardless of what is happening around me, and what situations I find myself in – the good, bad or in-between – I know that God is good. This truth has never changed and it never will.
But I have learned that “being good” and “feeling good” are not the same thing.
The Bible makes it clear that there is a cost to becoming a disciple of Jesus. We only need to look at the life of Jesus Himself to discover how high that cost might be. Being His disciple means that we need to learn how to live out our lives based on how He lived His, seeking to follow His example and living by what He says.
Let’s break that down a little more.
What does “following His example” mean for our lives?
Jesus was born, grew, learnt a trade and went to the temple.
He healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons.
He spent time with prostitutes, hung out with tax collectors, sought out those on the margins and made friends with the uneducated.
He upset the religious rulers and offended those in governmental power.
He was betrayed by one of those closest to Him, was accused of crimes He didn’t commit, and was killed, choosing to lay down His life so that others might live.
Well, that’s not a list for the faint hearted!
What about His teaching?
Jesus taught on many things, but His teaching included statements like this:
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23 NIV)
And,
Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. (Luke 17:33 NIV)
It’s not a manifesto for those wanting a quiet, comfortable, risk-free life!
Let’s look at the life of Paul for a moment. He is a man of huge significance in the Bible. He was an amazing theologian who wrote at least thirteen (possibly fourteen) of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament. He was a brilliant teacher, a highly successful church planter, and on top of all that moved in healings, signs and wonders. The legacy of his life is immeasurable.
Yet, for all this, Paul was simply a man who knew what it meant to give his life to something that mattered. The incredible fruit of his life was produced at a heavy cost, but it was one he was willing to pay.
I have worked much harder for God, taken more beatings, and been dragged to more prisons than they. I’ve been flogged excessively, multiple times, even to the point of death.
Five times I’ve received thirty-nine lashes from the Jewish leaders. Three times I experienced being beaten with rods. Once they stoned me. Three times I’ve been shipwrecked; for an entire night and a day I was adrift in the open sea. In my difficult travels I’ve faced many dangerous situations: perilous rivers, robbers, foreigners, and even my own people. I’ve survived deadly peril in the city, in the wilderness, with storms at sea, and with spies posing as believers. I’ve toiled to the point of exhaustion and gone through many sleepless nights. I’ve frequently been deprived of food and water, left hungry and shivering out in the cold, lacking proper clothing. (2 Corinthians 24:23-28)
Again, not for the faint hearted.
What will be the cost for you and me to see individuals, families, or even whole communities transformed by the love of God? What will it cost to wholeheartedly love Jesus, love our neighbours, go and make disciples, as we are so clearly called to do?
It probably won’t involve beatings and shipwrecks.
It may instead look like deciding not to buy that bigger house in a nicer neighbourhood, instead choosing to live in the local council estate down the road, so that broken-down community can be transformed from the inside out.
It may look like choosing not to invest in that high interest savings plan to provide for a comfortable retirement, instead investing the money in a project to feed those who can’t provide for themselves, or housing for those who have nowhere to live.
I can’t tell you what it will look like for you, but I can guarantee you it will look like something.
The truth is, discipleship is a call to sacrifice and surrender. Following Jesus is the call to selflessly lay down one’s life, so that others might live. There is no associated guarantee that doing so will be easy. However, there is a beautiful promise that whatever is required, we can……
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
( Edited from GOLD by Nicola Neal – River Publishing )
