[Jesus said,]“I am the way, the truth, and the life!†Jesus answered. “Without me, no one can go to the Father. If you had known me, you would have known the Father. But from now on, you do know him, and you have seen him.†  John 14:6-7 (CEV)
I have accepted at this point in my life that Jesus knows best. That’s a good first step. Now all I have to do is keep working on the listening and obeying steps!
Jesus told His disciples in many different ways that He was their Teacher and He had the Way that led to the Father. But His way was counter to what they had been taught by their church leaders and so they were confused and doubting. Daily they saw miracles and heard words that spoke of God’s love and how He wanted them to build His Kingdom. He wanted them, simple fishermen.
As I have spent the last 15+ years reading and studying the Bible, there are many things that I have heard that are counter to what I was taught prior to that. What I was taught as a child and young adult was fairly easy. Go to church every Sunday, be ‘good’, and then heaven. But studying the Bible and having daily conversations (prayer) with Jesus have taught me that He wants me to be more than a Believer. To be a disciple is simple but not easy. It’s about serving others, loving others, and sowing into others. And that takes a lot more study and listening to the Teacher. It also takes the support of other disciples. Jesus brought 12 together and told them to “Go.†He meant for His plan to be a team effort. He did not give all His gifts to each disciple but gave to each so that they would work together and complement each other (1 Corinthians 12-14). And so here I am trying to navigate this plan that Jesus has.
“Show me how You want me to do this, Jesus.†I really liked to play basketball when I was a kid. The toughest part of the game for me was finding out how to promote the “team†concept among fellow players. I confess it is the difficult part of being a disciple. Working together and keeping the common goal of Jesus and His Kingdom as the focus is not easy in our Christian community. Like the 1st century disciples, members have their own agendas or ideas how God’s Kingdom should be built. Frequently having little to do with Jesus’ plan of reaching out and caring for those who are in need of The Great Physician.
I am a mother, a grandmother, a retired nurse, an editor in a publishing company, a sister, and a wife. Under all of those ‘hats’ are opportunities for me to use the talents/gifts that God has given me to build His Kingdom. Jesus is willing to alert me to those open doors and show me how to be a constructive part of His plan. All I have to do is ask.
Show Me Your Way written and sung by Hillsong United
