Discipleship!

A native of the Congo is said to have prayed, "Dear Lord, You be the needle and I be the thread. You go first, and I will follow wherever You may lead." [original source unknown]

Perhaps that is one of the best pictures of discipleship; a willingness to SURRENDER the life AND FOLLOW wherever the Lord leads. Think about the needle guiding the thread skillfully in and out of the fabric, creating the stitching that holds a garment together. It is the needle that has the ability to poke through, creating a pathway for the thread to follow. Without the needle, what could the thread do? Though our life has its ins and outs, it is the power of Jesus that can break through, bringing us through them in a way that holds our life together for the purpose of which it was created.

Jesus defined His expectation of discipleship when He stated. . .
"(26) If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot BE MY DISCIPLE. (27) Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot BE MY DISCIPLE. . . . (33) So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot BE MY DISCIPLE." ( Luke 14:26-27 & 33 ESV)

Of all our relationships, JESUS MUST BE FIRST. He is to be loved more than anyone or anything else. That is really what He was trying to convey so that all relationships could be kept in proper perspective. Also, unless we are WILLING TO FOLLOW HIM and HIS WILL -- turning away from the direction of our own desires and un-attaching ourselves from our stuff (instead finding ways to use it up in His service) -- we cannot be His disciple. It is through FOLLOWING HIS LEAD that we will find our greatest blessings.

Even if we feel at times we are hanging on by a thread, let it be a thread attached to Jesus. May we trust the Lord enough to FOLLOW WHEREVER HE LEADS, knowing it ultimately leads into His eternal presence.

Have a great day FOLLOWING JESUS THROUGH ALL THE FABRIC OF LIFE!
Carl

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