Disciple? If I am a disciple, how committed am I to being a disciple of Jesus?
Many times we can get caught up in being one of the crowd. Not really listening and living according to the gospel. We float along not really thinking what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Many times we practice our faith on auto-pilot.
As we engage in being disciples of Jesus, what does that mean? Well, disciples listen and live the gospel daily. They are committed to Jesus and to living their life according to his teachings. A disciple becomes actively involved in church life and they seek out ways that they can help others.
Jesus gives his final word to the disciples in a very simple and straightforward message, “Love one another as I have loved you”. We do not need to do grand works of sacrifice or ministry, we simply need to love one another the way Jesus has loved us. The first word that comes to mind of Jesus’ love for us is – unconditional.
Jesus unconditionally shared his love when he comforted his friends, listened to his mother, and accepted members of society that others often ignored. He calls us to share our gifts regardless of the consequences. Even as we recognize our limitations, we are called to reach out to others to give support and to listen to others who are typically forgotten.
A song comes to mind when I think about being a disciple, “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love”. One set of lyrics specifically states,
“And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love”
Take a moment and pray that you will be able to give the same love Jesus gives to us. Then ask yourself, have I shown unconditional love this week? Do I feel I have lived as a disciple of Jesus?
