\u201cDepart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.\u201d Psalm 34:14<\/p>\n
There are a lot of wars going on. There is a war against terrorism.\u00a0 There is a war against ISIS.\u00a0 In some parts of the world, there is a war on women and girls.\u00a0 But all these wars really stem from one war \u2013 the war that rages within ourselves.\u00a0 Every day, we are at war against our base natures.\u00a0 We are at war against our inclination toward greed, lust, dishonesty, and impatience.\u00a0 We are at war against our own anger, apathy, and meanness.\u00a0 We are at war against the unsavory aspects of our personalities that we need to gain control over.<\/p>\n
That is why the short bible verse above is so powerful. Passive discipleship is not enough.\u00a0 You can\u2019t hum your way through your life and hope for the best.\u00a0 Each of us needs to be active<\/em> about our discipleship.\u00a0 We have to depart<\/em> from evil and do<\/em> good.\u00a0 We each have to seek <\/em>peace and pursue<\/em> it.<\/p>\n That means that we simply cannot react to what happens around us. We have to act thoughtfully.\u00a0 Let me explain.\u00a0 Most of us feel like we are good people.\u00a0 I feel that way.\u00a0 And as long as things are going well, I am an incredibly nice and generous person.\u00a0 I am patient and easy-going.\u00a0 But how I act when things are going well doesn\u2019t mean anything.\u00a0 The true test of my nature is how I act when things aren\u2019t going so well.\u00a0 Am I patient when someone is being rude or irritating?\u00a0 Do I lust after material things, like a bigger house, a fancier car or nicer clothes?\u00a0 Do I stand up and do something when I see injustice?\u00a0 I am embarrassed to say that sometimes I pass those tests, and sometimes I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n Active discipleship means that you do more than simply react to what is going on around you. It means that you intentionally commit yourself to do the right thing.\u00a0 You decide to turn the other cheek, even when someone is cruel to you.\u00a0 You choose to serve others, even when it costs you time or money.\u00a0 You agree to be a peacemaker, even when you aren\u2019t feeling very peaceful.<\/p>\n Active discipleship is a commitment that each of us needs to make every day until we die. That is because we will never fully conquer our base natures.\u00a0 Of course, we can mature and grow in wisdom.\u00a0 And with that, we become less susceptible to the unpleasant aspects of our human nature.\u00a0 But as long as we are breathing, we will never be fully rid of the potential to be critical, unkind, judgmental, and cruel.<\/p>\n So how do we practice active discipleship? How do we control the base aspects of our human natures?\u00a0 One way to pray.\u00a0 Through prayer, God can help us gain control over ourselves.\u00a0 If we pray before we act, God will guide us to be kinder and gentler to those around us.\u00a0 When we pray about difficult situations, God will give us wisdom on how to deal with them.<\/p>\n Active discipleship also requires that we be brutally honest with ourselves. We all justify our bad behavior from time to time.\u00a0 \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have said those things, if he hadn\u2019t done X.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cShe deserved it.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cI got mad because I was tired and having a bad day.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cS\/he is a bad husband\/wife, so what else could I do?\u201d\u00a0 The list of excuses we make is a mile long.\u00a0 If you find yourself falling into the trap of making excuses for your bad behavior, ask yourself this: Would you want your friends, family and colleagues to hear what you just said?\u00a0 Would you want them to know what you just did?\u00a0 If not, then you shouldn\u2019t be doing it.\u00a0 It is just that simple.<\/p>\n Moreover, active discipleship takes discipline. Self-control isn\u2019t easy.\u00a0 That is why it helps to surround yourself with positive influences.\u00a0 Read books by people who inspire you to live a life that serves God.\u00a0 Associate with people who hold themselves to a higher standard of behavior.\u00a0 Listen to music and watch movies and television shows that have positive messages.\u00a0 Fill your mind with what is good.<\/p>\n This week consider how you can commit yourself to a life of Active Discipleship. Are there ways that you can be more thoughtful about how you treat others?\u00a0 Are there areas in your life where you need to consciously adjust your attitude?\u00a0 Remember that while the work of Active Discipleship is hard, the benefits of maturing spiritually and emotionally outweigh that cost.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cDepart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.\u201d Psalm 34:14 There are a lot of wars going on. There is a war against terrorism.\u00a0 There is a war against ISIS.\u00a0 In some parts of the world, there is a war on women and girls.\u00a0 But all these wars really stem from one…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n