The Cost of Nondiscipleship…

This Title is inspired from Dallas Willard’s excerpts from The Spirit of the Disciplines. I’ve recently began reading through the Devotional Classics again. It contains selected writings, excerpts and devotional materials from various teachers of Christian faith (from the 4th century CE to modern) so it’s also a great way to be introduced to works of some great teachers we don’t normally read.

Dallas Willard points out the great omissions from the Great Commission: 1) omitting the making of disciples, and 2) not training them. The catchy phrase he uses to end the selection is “the Cost of Nondiscipleship”, in describing the following: “(after briefly talking about Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship, or Discipleship)… but the cost of nondiscipleship is far greater – even when this life alone is considered – than the price paid to walk with Jesus… Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, it costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10)…”

So, I started listing out my own cost of non-discipleship:

• Forgetting that this new day came beyond my control. I did not create this day. I forgot to thank God for this new day and each breath I breathe.
• Forgetting to ask, “Who is in control?”
• Not stopping to examine, “To whom am I listening?”
• Not re-focusing on asking why I do what I do.
• Forgetting God’s love, grace, mercy, and patience demonstrated on the cross, which resulted in my failure to be gentle and to exercise love, grace, and mercy with others.
• Working restless hours out of desperation that “it needs to be done”:
• Because I’m just that important;
• No one else can do it (they’re not that important);
• I do important work;
• I can sacrifice my sleep (denial of humanity);
• The world will fall apart;
• Forgetting that God works from inside out, trying to work from outside in;
• Forgetting to discern what I can change, and things I cannot change;
• Forgetting about relationships – God, Family, Friends, Community…etc.
• Some of the above essentially implying that I’m the messiah, and that I need to manage and run the environment around me – failing to recognize that it is okay to leave some things unfinished, as long as I’m honest with my work.
• Not praying, as if I have no relations with God.
• Not asking Jesus what I should learn from him today.
• Not doing/practicing/exercising what I learn from Jesus today.
• Not listening to others what Jesus is showing them today.
• Not sharing what Jesus is teaching me today.
• Not seeking forgiveness.
• Not forgiving.
• Not trusting.
• Not being trustworthy.
• Words untamed.
• Taming God.
• Taming God’s vision for the world.
• Doing too much of what is unnecessary, while making a big deal out of it.
• Doing too little of what is important, while playing it down.
• Complacency.
• Spiritual hunger.
• Not recognizing that I’m spiritually dry.
• When my spiritual rock-bottom is realized, not grieving it.
• Not grieving sin.

Of course, the list could go on… What’s your list?