Personal Discipleship Requires Having a Progressive Mindset

Many things in life and work require having a progressive mindset. I’ve come to understand that this is especially true when it comes to personal discipleship. Before I explain that and put it into context of Edwards’ second resolution, let me explain a bit.

Discipleship is mostly misunderstood today. And I think that’s even more the case when it comes to personal discipleship. In fact, I have been blessed to have gained a lot of new perspective on the concept of personal discipleship over the last several months and couple of years. Much of that is by “chance” in agreeing to do book reviews. Specific titles that come to mind include, Discipled by Jesus, Dancing in No Man’s Land, Street Smarts from Proverbs, and Upward, Inward, Outward.

You see, we too-often consider discipleship to be a program or curriculum. We believe it’s a package you can buy from Christian retailers, Amazon, or other publishers. That’s not all bad. It gives us an ability to impart important Christian concepts onto our most impressionable and least seasoned of God’s children. However, it also hoodwinks us into believing that discipleship is a one-size-fits all approach to becoming like Christ.

If God wanted us to grow to be like Christ by following a checklist, he would not have given us unique personalities and abilities. He would have given us a bland set of universal talents and intellect. Transformation would be much easier, and it would not requires us to achieve it from the inside out.

With that in mind, let’s consider Edwards’ second resolution.

Jonathan Edwards Resolution 2

When it comes to having a progressive mindset toward discipleship, it is about God before self`… No matter what… At all times – And all ways.

Why Resolution #2 is About Discipleship

As we begin, let’s remember that this is resolution number two, and the stated “aforementioned” therefore pertains to resolution #1. Here is what we discussed in relation to Edwards’ first resolution.

To narrow that down, though, consider the “modernized” version of that resolution:

I will live to bring God’s glory before my own reward regardless of the challenge it takes because it’s my duty to share his grace with all persons.

Then Edwards makes a second resolution that is effectively saying, I’m all in and always progressing.

I’ll always seek new ways to live and encourage living up to the demands of Resolution 1.

As Edwards notes, he read these resolutions daily. I can only presume that he read them chronologically.

I will live to bring God’s glory before my own reward regardless of the challenge it takes because it’s my duty to share his grace with all persons. I’ll always seek new ways to live and encourage living up to this demand.

That is how he began each day. And that is the foundation established in preparation for reading the 68 resolutions that followed. Let’s shorten that even more:

[special]God before self. No matter what. At all times. And all ways.[/special]

Discipleship is About Renewal

Consider Paul’s words in Romans:

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. – Romans 12:1-2 MSG

There is a lot here, and that’s one of the main reasons I like to use the Message translation for this passage. It lays it it out in simple terms. As followers of Christ, we have to be accepting of God’s work in our lives and recognize that every act is an offering to God. A form of worship. Because your every work, act, or move is FOR HIM!

That basis establishes a new understanding and transforms us from the inside out. And now comes the crazy part; we were not created to merely fit in. We were created to be different.

So stop adjusting to the culture of this world and be brave enough to stand out! If we are truly following the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we are allowing ourselves to be stripped (unleavened) of all worldly trappings. And then we blossom forth with the fruits of the spirit.

The result? We become better servants and instruments of God. Which is really what the first two resolutions are all about.

Discipleship Requires a Progressive Mindset

Edward Filene, a credit union and retail pioneer has long been quoted as having said “Progress is the constant replacing of the best there is with something still better.” Of course, it’s easy to put this into a capitalist context. However, when placed into the context of personal discipleship – as a student of Jesus – it takes new significance.

If progress truly is replacing the best there is with something better, as a student of Jesus, consider your progress. Are you approaching each day seeking to be a better student of Jesus than you were the day before?

How do we even do that? Disrupt our reptilian brains with the heart transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

One of the three areas of our brain that neuroscientists point to is the reptilian brain. It’s one that is wired for survival. It is said to be the oldest part of the brain and is responsible for survival instincts. It exists to avoid pain and makes our decisions.

It’s super selfish. Yes, it is responsible for vital tasks, like breathing or hunger and thirst. However, it is also the driver of our more primitive emotions, like a desire for intoxication, sex, power, and excessive addictions. It will even push us to violence as a survival mechanism. Ironically, then, it is responsible for both the good and the bad consequences of our life decisions.

Marketers know this well and have been catering to this for years. And we’re seeing the mass consequences of that. Beloved, instead of slogging through life – thinking only with a reptilian brain, let’s be more diligent to follow these resolutions and find ourselves prospering with Godly hearts.