Dear Fellow-workers,
I want to encourage you to become a devoted fellow-worker in our Lord and Saviour’s vineyard advancing the kingdom, and not to get weary. Do not burden yourselves with unnecessary busy-works which is not pleasing God nor bearing any fruit.
Jesus’s yoke is that what He expects from us – the only burden we should take up is this:
“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Deut. 6:4-5 also read vs 6-10) The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Lev.19:18, also read the context vs. 1-18)
Mark 12:29-31 (compare Matt 22:37-39 and Luke 10:25-37)
To LIVE LOVE is the most important expectation in the kingdom of God. Where His rules apply there will be love. What does that have to do with making disciples? As a disciple maker, Jesus did not only teach His disciples to love and how to love, He demonstrated a lifestyle of loving – He demonstrated LOVE. There is no other way to demonstrate (show) our love to God but to love others. Treat others as you would like to be treated, yes but, foremost treat them like you would like to treat Jesus. (Read Matt 25:34-46.) It is not about what we teach – it is about how we live a kingdom lifestyle.
Jesus commanded us to make disciples by teaching and demonstrating love. In the first place we should live and demonstrate love in our own families. People should be able to see we love our wives/husbands. People should be able to see that we love our children. My husband/wife should experience my love. It does not help to say, “I love you,” but we do not live and demonstrate that love in a caring, practical and visible way. When someone says he/she loves me I want to experience that love and care.
I cannot even think of discipling others if I cannot show love in practical ways. The depth and truth of my love lies in my actions. Love is taking care of each other. Love is not to be served but to serve. Can a husband serve his wife? Can a father serve his children? Or should it only be the other way round? Should tradition prescribe how we live as a family? Or should we obey Him to live to the glory of God? Shouldn’t LOVE dictate our way of living?
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Bring those things, that are keeping you busy, in prayer before God and evaluate which are not bearing fruit in the kingdom of God and is not part of a lifestyle of LOVE advancing God’s kingdom. Be honest with yourself and God.
Let’s live to the glory of God a lifestyle worthy of making disciples. Live LOVE!
Your sister in Jesus Christ,
Dekseltjie Steyn