The apprentice

This past weekend Doug was busy preparing our worship service for Sunday, in the midst of cooking breakfast for his family and playing with his kids. At one point, he set his guitar down in the dining room, propped up against one of the chairs. A few minutes later Mercy trotted over to her instrument basket and picked up her pink guitar and carefully situated it next to her dad’s.

guitars.jpg

Dallas Willard speaks powerfully of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. He is fond of employing the language of being an “apprentice”; of being a person devoted to learning and imitation.

As Jesus’ disciple, I am his apprentice in kingdom living. I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of the Heavens as he would lead my life if he were I…

My entire life is to be caught up in the life that Jesus Christ himself is now living on earth and will continue throughout eternity. And that is why being his apprentice is the greatest opportunity any human being ever has.

4 comments

  1. That is a great picture of how we are to follow. It’s not so much a “have to” but, as your daughter placed her guitar by her dad’s, it’s a ‘want to’ that stems from a total admiration and desire to be like him.

    thanks for that image and the words. I have to keep my eye out for teachable moments like this with my children.

    John

  2. “it’s a ‘want to’ that stems from a total admiration and desire to be like him.”

    perfectly said!

  3. Willard has some thought-provoking things to say about the Kingdom. I remember reading something like these words from a Christianity Today article. Good words.

  4. Thanks, Victor. Willard has definitely impacted the way I think about discipleship and my life as a follower of Jesus!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *