BY DAVE STEEL
Angst. Dictionary.com defines it as “a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.” For such a short word, it sure goes a long way in describing what’s in the air these days. If you watch the news at all, you know what I’m talking about. Chances are, you’ve noticed some angst in your own soul, as well.
When your world is awash in “alternative facts” and there’s widespread uncertainty about what and who you can trust, there’s bound to be angst. How do you live well, when all around you desperate voices keep turning up the volume by resorting to ALL CAPS and increasingly inflammatory speech to make themselves heard?
For those still listening amid the cacophony, a gentle whisper can be heard. It says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). To those who have been drinking the “Kool-Aid” of this world, Jesus goes on to say, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).
Such captivating promises and the kind of life they envision are precisely why we should get discipled. Are you desperate for the soul-satisfying rest Jesus offers? When you’re honest with yourself, do you thirst for something more than this world can offer? Jesus understands. That’s why he invites us to follow him—to be his disciple. He’s the answer to our deepest longings.
Jesus is not spinning his own alternative reality here. He’s speaking to you and me—in very personal terms—about how to experience abundant life, eternal life. These are not empty promises. If Jesus actually rose from the dead, as so many eyewitnesses attested, then it’s hard to imagine what more he could do to guarantee the reliability of these promises!
To be discipled by Jesus involves becoming like him by being fully trained in the art of joyfully obeying everything he commanded (see blog post entitled, “The Hazards of Haphazard Discipleship”). Getting discipled is about experiencing the abundant life Jesus promised, despite living in a world filled with angst.
The most comprehensive and accessible tool I know to help you in your pursuit of this life of joyful obedience to everything Jesus commanded is the new series of guidebooks entitled Get DISCIPLED. If you haven’t already, you’ll want to go to our store to check it out.