[Devoted1]

"Label Or Lifestyle?"
By: Zach Wood
John 8:31-32 (NLT)
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."


It's wonderful to be called a disciple, is it not? I wouldn't want my life to have any other label other than a devoted follower and disciple of Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus and desire to serve Him and follow Him more than anything else in life. However, if my actions, words and reactions do not reflect a lifestyle of the Savior, then I'm merely just wearing a label. I may believe in Him, but if I'm not living the Christ-like life, then my words are worthless particles flowing through the air with a flaky fragrance.

Look at what Jesus says in this passage. He says "you are truly my disciples if you KEEP obeying my teachings". I feel the key word here is "keep". You can't just obey one thing Christ commands and feel that makes you a forever living disciple. His teachings are for us throughout life and we should desire to do nothing but live out what He teaches us. If we live by His teachings, then we will have more than a label. We'll have a Christ-like lifestyle.

Do you want to just have a label as a disciple or be a true disciple by living a lifestyle that proves you're a disciple? Shouldn't be a hard question to answer. Yet, sometimes the desires we have don't flow through our daily lives. We get caught up in calling ourselves Christians, devoted followers of Jesus Christ, and many times just live a life no different than someone who knows nothing about Christ. I don't know about you, but I do not want to just have a label and live life. I want to have the dedicated lifestyle of being a daily follower of Jesus Christ.

If we want to be true disciples of our Lord and Savior, then we are to obey His teachings daily and live out the Christ-like life. This truth shall set us free. We need to keep obeying His teachings, whether we feel like it all the time or not. They are not options, they are commands from our Father for a healthy life of a devoted follower.

[hockeydad]

I have known people who profess to be followers when times are good and they seem to be truely blessed. But when time get tough...finances, illness, death...they fall away and maybe even blame God.

On the other hand I have known people who have turned to God when times were difficult and there was no other hope but when things got better they went back to their old way of life.

I think that the real measure of a person's relationship with Christ is how that person behaves and even thinks when no one else is around.

Just something to think about.