In following Christ, I often hear people lament about one situation or another that they feel ill-equipped for specific tasks at hand.
- “The Bible is just too big to understand.”
- “I’m not that much of a reader in the first place.”
- “I don’t know what my spouse needs from me.”
- “They didn’t give an instruction manual when they handed me my child at the hospital.”
- “I don’t know enough to teach anybody anything.”
- “I’m not spiritual enough to go on a mission trip.”
- “I don’t have the gift of evangelism.”
And so on it goes.
It seems like whatever might seem challenging in our world causes us to claim that we are unable, inexperienced, or unlikely to handle it well.
When it comes to trailing Jesus on the discipleship path, we present so many lame excuses.
Here’s what I have come to figure out about myself and the entire human race: we will figure out what we want to figure out.
If we want it bad enough, we will take however long, labor so intensively, seek outstanding counsel, spare no expense, and surround ourselves with positive support to get whatever we genuinely want to be accomplished.
I have seen people come up with excellent solutions to complex problems. I have seen people make a way where there seemed to be no way. When people want it bad enough, they will figure it out.
So, as it comes to our discipleship, that’s the issue, isn’t it? We don’t want it bad enough.
Paul told his son in the faith, Titus, that zeal for good works accompanies salvation.
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Titus 2:14
Jesus has redeemed us. We are free from the wayward lifestyles of lawlessness. He has purified us. We belong to Him. And why does He set us apart?
Jesus has set us apart so that we might be zealous for good works.
Remember that list at the top of the article? All those things that seemed too difficult to succeed regarding the Christian life? Those are called good works. God will empower you for those things, and if you want it bad enough, I guarantee you will experience progress there.
You will figure out what you want to figure out.
So do you want to figure out now why to follow Jesus, but actually how you do it?
What are you waiting for?
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.