Lynn Jones: The cost of discipleship
By Lynn Jones
It was not until about 1948 that electricity arrived at our house in Plainview, Louisiana. One of my first memories is seeing the workers put the big utility poles into the ground and then climbing them to put the electrical wires in place. After the electricity was hooked to our house, one of my mother’s first purchases was a washing machine. Before this time, she had used a washboard to wash the clothes. I have only hazy memories of her doing that, but I have often felt sorry for her having to do all that hard labor.
Mom, in her later years, always kept her old washboard on display in her living room, along with some other items from those earlier days. Printed across the top of the board was the brand name and then the following line: “The board will do the work for you.” I told my mom one time that I would feel sorry for her no more. All those years I had been sympathetic about the hard work that she had done using that washboard. If I had only known—the board was doing all the work for her.
Actually, knowing advertisers as I do, I suspect that that line may have been a bit of an overstatement. The truth of the matter was that a person could work herself to death with such a board. Somebody still had to rub the clothes against the board, plus a dozen other things that the board was incapable of doing. When my mom bought that board, I really doubt that she was under any illusion about the board doing all the work for her.
Many of us, however, are under that illusion. We keep looking for some easier, pain-free way of doing things. I am always amazed at the number of pain-free ways that are offered to lose weight. One man said, “I joined a health club last year. I spent about 500 bucks and haven’t lost a pound. Apparently, you have to go to the thing.”
We also have an innate longing for some pain-free, discipline-free way of living the Christian life. We would like a quick and easy 12-step program for becoming a dynamic Christian without paying a price. Many plans are on the market for just such a Christianity. I have my doubts about such plans. As I understand the Bible, there is no shortcut to dynamic discipleship. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). Such a pathway involves long-term discipline and dedication. That discipline is seen in things like obedience, prayer, Bible study, stewardship, and church attendance. We would like a Christian lifestyle where Christ would do all of the work for us. Instead, He invites us to a discipleship that involves sacrifice and commitment.
Lynn Jones is a retired pastor who lives in Oxford. He does supply preaching for churches in his area and often serves as an interim pastor. Jones is also an author, has written two books and writes a weekly newspaper column. He may be contacted at: kljones45@yahoo.com.
