Wayne & Gail Chen Bringing the Gospel to the Biem people in Papua New Guinea Some non-missions/PNG related musings…
I was reading Dallas Willard’s “The Spirit of the Disciplines” again this morning and been thinking all day about this quote. Willard was talking about the problems in the contemporary church of “undiscipled disciples”.
Dallas Willard writes…
But the cost of nondiscipleship is far greater – even when this life alone is considered – than the price paid to walk with Jesus.
Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, it (non-discipleship) costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10)
This is how Willard describes a disciple…the disciple of Christ desires above all else to be like him. The disciple is one who, intent upon becoming Christlike and so dwelling in his “faith and practice,” systematically and progressively rearranges his affairs to that end.
I have rarely thought about the consequence of “non-discipleship” as a “loss”. Disobedience maybe…but losing out on an abundant life? That hasn’t crossed my mind too often. Some of you may think we have got it all figured out…being a missionary in Papua New Guinea and all…and you’d be wrong. Still under construction…baby steps every day.
