“And Jesus *said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” His mother *said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:4-5)
There are many books and trainings out there by various authors on what it means to be a disciple. Mary, the mother of Jesus, gives us her instructions on being a disciple, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” She breaks discipleship down to its simple core, “listening and doing”. We are called to actively listen to Jesus, to seek Him out and hear His voice. “My sheep hear My voice…. and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27). We seek. listen to, and hear his voice when we open our Bibles, when we bend our knees in prayer, and when we become vulnerable in accountability with other believers. And then once we hear what Jesus is telling us, we without delay obey it and do it. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” (1John 5:2-3)
To call your self a Christian means you are saying you are a follower of Christ. To be a follower of someone you have to actively to listen to them, and then you have to obey what you hear from them. A simple definition of a disciple then is someone who is Listening to what Jesus is telling them to do, and then doing it. How are you daily actively listening to Jesus, seeking to hear his voice and follow Him as a Christian every day? Are you intentionally setting aside time daily to read your Bible, and pray? Are you in a Band group (accountability group) that meets weekly to help you discern, interpret and pray over what you are hearing?
Last night at our house church gathering we had a special guest, Curtis Seargent. He gave an illustration of hearing God comparing it to radio waves and a radio. He said every second of everyday we are bombarded with and surrounded by hundreds of radio waves from any different radio station and sources. Day and not these radio waves are constantly hitting us and around us. However, we cannot hear them or what they are saying. However, if we have a radio receiver, with it, we can tune in, connect to these radio waves and hear what they are playing or saying. Curtis went on to say everyday in the spiritual realm we are surrounded by spiritual “waves” from God and from the enemy. God is always trying to speak to us. And the receiver of his “waves” is our heart and soul. And we have to “tune in” our hearts to hear what He is saying. Whether we “tune in” to receive them in prayer, in a dream, through reading His Word in the Bible, from trusted others in an accountability group, we have to intentionally and actively “tune in” to God, and tune-out” the waves from sources other than Him, to be able to hear what he says to us, and to enable us to be disciples of Christ, persons “Listening to what Jesus is telling them to do, and then doing it.”
Jesus, remind me through your Holy Spirit this morning that the core of your call over my life to be a follower of you is not mainly found in the “Rs” of rituals, religion, and routines. It is found in listening to your voice and obeying what I hear. Let me hear Mary’s words above as if she is speaking only to me, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Mary practiced what she preached, as when she heard what God was asking her to do, and her reply was, “And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Let me have the bold obedience of a Mary, who was just a 16 year old girl.
My family, I pray this morning you take time to actively listen to what Jesus is telling you to do. You may have already heard His voice speaking to you in your heart. And I pray you then intentionally and without delay, obey Him and do what He has told you to do. In Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
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