Getting Dirty!

Ever notice how much dust can build up on a ceiling fan? It’s crazy to me! You’d think something that was constantly moving could not build up so much dust.  The fan can’t really help it though, it is only doing its job.  It’s a product of it being placed in a particular environment and doing what it was built to do.

Every so often, I have to get the vacuum cleaner or dust rag out, and remove the dust.  It’s one of those tasks that never seems convenient, and it’s easy to forget and not recognize because we look up and see those fan blades moving around, cooling the air, and we are pleased!

Christians are a lot like ceiling fans. Really they are - I know it’s a stretch but follow me here.

Many of us are doing our best to do what we were created to do, and we really do love God with all of our hearts!

“Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37

We try to love others as much as we love ourselves! (If I'm being honest here, this is one of the hardest things we'll ever try to do well. But that's for another Blog post...)

            “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:39

We spread the Gospel!

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28: 19-20

Yet somehow we still accumulate junk on us that from time to time needs to be cleaned up.

That is where discipleship comes in; and real discipleship is messy! It simply has to be.  We have to be willing to sit down with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and expose the dust that we accumulate on ourselves. We have to be raw, real, vulnerable, truthful… otherwise it is not discipleship, it’s a ”feel-good” session.

In Galatians 2, Paul tells about having to bring correction to one of his brothers in Christ, Peter. The dynamic behind this intrigues me because you have to remember that Peter walked with Jesus Christ in His ministry on Earth. Peter was one of the closest people to Jesus during a time where Paul (who was Saul), actually opposed everything Jesus Christ came to do.

Paul, on the other hand, was not one of the twelve disciples who walked with Jesus. Jesus did appear to him (in Acts 9), but Paul did not personally interact with Jesus on a daily basis as Peter did.

Paul had immense respect for Peter, but when he realized Peter was in need of correction, Paul brought it to him. He did not ignore it!

Peter was so entrenched in what he was doing, that he began to withdraw himself from associating with the Gentiles, and began only hanging out with other Jews. Peter began taking on their customs and laws, of which Christ had freed them of, and started leading others, including Barnabas and many others, to do the same.

He unknowingly started moving away from grace and moving towards legalism.

“When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas (Peter) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?” Galatians 2:14
           

Paul calls out Peter, who had become more about law and less about grace, bringing him back to the heart of what they are all called to do. Just so happens that is also what we are called to do…

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:21

Peter had to be open to the correction, just as we do as well.  We can go about doing God’s will and do it with the right heart, but sometimes we don’t recognize the junk we pick up (dust) because we don’t feel it.  It’s relatively unseen, at least initially... 

Over time those little specs of dust begin to pile up and eventually become visible.  That's when we notice just how messy we are.  Discipleship is the cloth lined with His grace that we use to lovingly wipe off that junk, and press on!

My encouragement to you is that if you are not being discipled, and not making disciples, make that a priority! 

So I know some of you are wondering: What does that mean, practically?

Good question!

Discipleship can look different for each of us depending on our lives and what we are called to do.  Discipleship can be a one-on-one interaction, or small group of close friends.  Discipleship leads to making disciples, which can only be done by going through God’s word together, praying with and for each other, being real and honest about struggles, rejoicing together over the many blessings God has given us, and most importantly being a place of love.  God’s love… not judgment!

Discipleship does not mean you are a pastor in training, about to become a missionary, or the next evangelist; though you may find that through discipleship God has called you to do something amazing! 

Discipleship is iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17)!  For that to happen, friction must take place and things must heat up, then both pieces leave the interaction sharper! Ready for use!

Paul was nothing without Barnabas. In fact,  they would have likely killed Paul shortly after his conversion to a Christian if it weren’t for Barnabas. He spent many years learning under Barnabas before heading out on his own.  Paul went on to disciple Silas, Timothy, Aquila, and many others!

All the great men we read about in the New Testament had one thing in common, they were all discipled, some even by Jesus Himself! It's time we get serious about discipleship too! It's time we clean off the dust that inevitably builds up and do what we are called to do!

So, how are you dealing with your dust?

We should all strive to find a Barnabas and a Timothy!