Are you a groupie, or a disciple?

I’m a rocker, and I always have been.  I love guitar shredding licks and earth shattering solos.  I’ve always dreamed of being able to play like that.  Satriani, Johnson, Page, Van Halen, Lang.  I’ve been to some awesome concerts, jumped up and down, waved my arms in the air, screamed til I was hoarse, sat in awe, and raved at how awesome the bands were.

“Man I want to be like that!”

Then it reminds me of many Christians, including myself.

We go to meet our Jesus at church, jump up and down, wave our arms in the air, scream til we are hoarse, sit in awe, and rave at how awesome He is.  Then we look at the cross, ” “Man I want to be like that!”

Then, just like at the concert, we leave, listen to our newest CD, and life goes on just the same.

See, we don’t really want to be like the rock star, we just want what he has: awesome guitar skills, money, and thousands of people screaming our name.  It’s the same with our Jesus, we don’t want to really be like Him, we just want what he has: heaven, healing, and “prosperity.”

See, to really be like the rock star, it takes hours every day for years of practicing and playing the guitar.  While everyone else was out playing or doing whatever, the rock star was locked in his room running through scales and riffs, learning theory, and emulating his own rock stars.  It takes work, hard work to get to that level.  It costs you your life.

And it is no different for the Christian.  If we truly want to be like Christ, then we have to be like Him, and do what He did.  Spend time with him, study his life, techniques, and ways.  Do it every day until His nature is your nature.  It takes work, hard work to get to that level.  It costs you your life.

Then I am reminded of this little ditty from John 14:23-24:

“Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”

I say I love him, but do I obey him? Do I spend time every day making my life a reflection of his?

- God, don’t let me be a Jesus groupie.  I don’t want to spend my life chasing him for just one glance, or just one touch, I want to be like him.  Help me to count the cost, and lay down my life to truly gain His.

~ by baddogmooney on April 16, 2009.