Being Built Into A Christ-Like Human

Facing truth can suddenly be very alarming to us, especially when what we know we should do and what we do (head and action) don’t match. We fall into what psychologists call cognitive dissonance. So, to avoid its stress and anxiety, we begin making excuses to explain away the contradiction. There is no end to which people will not go, to provide such excuses trying to maintain coherence. This happens to individuals as well as nations. The same is true in Genesis: When God asked Adam: "What have you done?" Adam replied to God: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit to eat and I ate.” These excuses serve as a lollipop to soothe ourselves from the dissonance. Jesus knew this problem. That’s why He showed us the profile of a true disciple because, a disciple is a person who keeps learning to face truth with courage, to acknowledge personal flaws and failures and still heed Jesus’ teachings. Jesus’ description of a disciple is such that, it becomes unmistakable to recognize the profile of a follower of Christ. Nothing comes before Christ in a disciple’s life, not your family, not your business, nothing in this world. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastorwrote: "A disciple is someone who has accepted that Christ has breached his life and new boundaries are setting in." There is something about carrying our crosses that makes us Christ-like. What does it actually mean to carry our cross? A true disciple of Christ does not flinch/ compromise when confronted by hard truths but aligns thoughts, actions, and attitudes with the Gospel of Christ. Our world is a huge spiritual battle, so much to face when we become a believer. A true disciple knows how to quit willingly that which is held dear and yet, not dear to God. Abraham had to leave his country and Moses had to leave Pharaoh’s court. It was not easy! They left their comfort zones. I know it sounds radical and it is. It is our calling! If we are to be serious followers of Christ, we must part with our love for things of the world. We shouldn’t idolize them. True disciples trust in God’s provision, not in what we can control. Paul regarded things of the world as dung for the sake of union with Christ! I am extremely grateful for missionaries who came to Africa with the Gospel. They left everything: Parents, jobs, bright future prospects… Will we choose like them, follow Christ radically in our own context in the midst of what our next door neighbor, Bishop Bauerschmidt called an age of fanaticism, moral relativism, and moral censure? We have produced Christians who are not disciples! (I stole this one from somewhere) We are to learn eagerly: Did Jesus really mean to hate this life we’ve been given? We all love hot water. the benefits of our modern world. Jesus might not be calling us to shower with cold water but surely he is calling us to recognize that which is not good for us. God wants us to choose life. Not everything in this world is good for us. Deut. says: “…today I have set before you, life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him…” Be prepared to love Christ more than your own life! There is a cost associated with the call. Be willing to bear the heavy cross: the death of your ego/selfishness, mortify your sins/lust. Jesus was right! It is exactly like the cost of house construction. Work on yourself: Whatever you do, build your life back up in faith. Ask God to heal those wounds. Ruth Graham, the wife of Billy Graham had arranged to have it written on her tomb these words: End of Construction! It meant that whatever was done in life to build Ruth was complete at her death. Her contributions were now in front of her maker, more like a Christ-like human! I loved it. What kind of follower of Christ have we become these days? Be honest with God and pray like this: “Lord I am weak in this or that area, I still want to become your disciple, guide me to your truth!” This is our challenge: To look truth in the face, and also look into the lives of martyrs who went to their deaths in total obedience to God and radical refusal to compromise with the ways of world. Ask God to help you be built into a Christ-like human! Amen.