Real Discipleship

Matthew 4:19 (NKJV) 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."


The day that we realize that we are no longer in an ongoing change into a more perfect image of the Lord Jesus is the day that we have stopped following him. I know that sounds hard but based on the words of Jesus that is exactly the case.


A disciple of Jesus is one who is learning from him and continually changing for better. One of the great challenges of discipleship is remaining a real disciple. Most folks won’t know the difference. They see that we are still going to church or maybe even filling some role in Christian ministry. No one may know but Jesus. Actually, we may not even know ourselves. I have heard stories of victims of crimes or soldiers in combat who were shot but didn’t know it. They felt no pain and didn’t see anything that would make them think they were wounded. They only learned of their deteriorating condition when they became so weak that they could no longer carry on.
So it is as a disciple. It is very possible to be “leaking” and deteriorating and not know it. A person may still be functioning quite well until there is a collapse. The collapse might be spiritual, emotional or moral but the outcome is the same. Everyone around is stunned!


Today is a good day to pause, take a deep breath and see where you stand with your journey with Jesus. You started well enough. Maybe people even said they have never seen anyone change as fast as you did. That is wonderful and a true indication that you encountered Jesus and made him Lord. However, unlike the initiation of a club, serving Jesus is ongoing and increasing. When Jesus said, “follow me and I will make you”, it wasn’t a seasonal thing. It is forever.