A Rare Jewel Indeed

Daily discipleship

Consistency is key. A rare jewel, as they say. We know this is true.

Nobody ever got in shape going to the gym once. Nobody ever lost weight following a diet for one day. Saving ten dollars is a different from saving ten dollars a day for 40 years.

Jesus tells us, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23).

Anybody can follow Jesus for a day. But, to be a disciple requires consistency. I have to "die daily" (1 Cor. 15:31). Only then can I confidently say, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal. 2:20).

More than a set of rules or a list of "dos" and "don'ts," Jesus gave us Himself. So that I can be—day in and day out—in a relationship with Him. Jesus the teacher, and me the student. I can take His yoke upon me. Going where He goes, doing what He does, seeing the world through His eyes. Dying to self, dying for others, sacrificing to do the will of the Father.

If I'm looking for a get-rich-quick scheme, a self-help program, or a comfortable way to be a "better" person, Christianity isn't for me. There is no trial period. There is no money-back guarantee. There are no days off.

But, if I want to be conformed to the image of God's glorious Son... If I want to be transformed by God from the inside out... If I want to be dead to self and alive to God... Jesus reaches out, with eyes full of compassion, and says, "Follow me, and I will make you become..." (Mark 1:17).