Do You have What It Takes to be a Disciple?

Recently I had to opportunity to lead our church in Austin through a forty day period of fasting and prayer. It was an amazing and enlightening time for all of us who participated. I really believe the fruit of this corporate fast will be evident for years to come.

One of the early pictures God gave me for the fast was that of climbing a mountain–nothing about it can be done easily or in a hurry. And that picture, quite honestly, is true for the entire process of following Jesus.

Consider this verse:

Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples, John 6:3.

I’ve been in those hills around the Sea of Galilee where this scene took place, and I even climbed to the top of one early one morning to watch the sunrise. It was by no means easy.

So John’s simple little comment–Jesus went up on the mountain–required a serious commitment from his disciples. It still does.

Discipleship requires discipline. There are no shortcuts to a summit. Bottom line, it’s hard work. When we sign on to be Jesus’ followers, we sign on to a life of discipline, of sacrifice, of living with less and of limiting our opportunities for the sake of the Kingdom. Following Jesus up the mountain requires discipline.

Discipleship requires time. There is no instant anything in discipleship. It’s a process–a lifelong process. Even the smallest of mountains require time and effort if they are to be summited. When the disciples started up that mountain with Jesus, they couldn’t politely beg out because they had meetings to rush off to. Discipleship is all-in, or it isn’t in at all. Busyness cannot be in the vocabulary of the disciple. If we are to be busy, we are to be busy being with Jesus. Following Jesus up the mountain requires time.

Discipleship requires patience. I and a few friends have been praying for the healing of another friend of ours for several months. We all believe–dare I say KNOW–that she is going to be healed, but the healing is slow in coming. Guess who’s growing impatient with God?

The Lord is gently reminding me that sometimes the process is the point. The process makes us grow.

Some mountains I’ve climbed are really difficult because you often gain a view of the summit early in the climb. And even as the hours of arduous work pass by, the summit seems no closer than it did when you started. Patience and tenacity are required to reach some summits, and every summit Jesus has for you will require your steadfastness. An impatient disciple is an oxymoron. Following Jesus up the mountain requires patience.

Discipleship requires faith. Other mountains offer no real view of the summit until you are right on top of it. I even climbed a mountain once where the entire day-long effort was shrouded in clouds. I never actually saw the mountain or any of the view.

Following Jesus can be like that. There will be days when it’s very clear and easy to see where he’s taking you. But more often than not the way will be shrouded in mystery.

At the end of our most recent prayer gathering over the friend I mentioned above, I commented that it is like doing ministry by Braille. We really can’t see where we’re going. It’s more like we’re feeling our way along. That requires faith.

Following Jesus requires us to believe that he knows where he’s going, that the journey will end and that we’ll all sit down together and enjoy the view. Following Jesus up the mountain requires faith.

And, Discipleship offers perspective. Yes, that moment finally came. The journey up the mountain ended, and the weary disciples were finally invited to sit down with Jesus and enjoy the view for a while.

Summits do that–they offer perspective. Everything looks different–smaller–from a mountain summit.

I hit a few summits with Jesus and gained a ton of perspective over the last forty days. When you commit to following Jesus, and when you stay with him over the long haul, your perspective will change.

Do you have what it takes to follow Jesus? Are you disciplined? Are you willing to be patient and give your best time to the process? Do you have faith that Jesus knows where he is taking you and that the journey will be worth it?

If so, then buckle up. You’re in for the time of your life.

*Want to read more about how fasting and prayer can enhance your life? CLICK HERE.

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