Being a Disciple

It is difficult to think of the word disciple without bringing thoughts of the Savior and His faithful followers. The word itself was not coined by Jesus, but had been in use well before His mortal ministry. It comes from the Latin word discipulus which means "learner". It was once used to differentiate between the teacher and the pupil and was largely attributed to followers of popular philosophers or religious leaders. 

When Jesus ministered on the Earth He invited all men and women to come and follow Him. He made disciples of fishermen, publicans, and even Pharisees (see Nicodemus). The discipleship which Jesus asks is different than that which a teacher might ask of a student. Christ does not want someone who is simply willing to listen and learn. This is very important, but Christ asks us to do more with the knowledge which we obtain. 

Christ wants us to become transformed into new beings, "yoked" to Him in all things. He requires our full devotion, and in return promises bounteous blessings. Of course, any true disciple knows that blessings are not the primary motivation of discipleship. We are devoted to the Savior because we love Him and we find power and truth in His words. We recognize that He is the Messiah and our personal Savior. For this reason, we feel the strong desire to accept His invitation, "come, follow me." (Luke 18:22).

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? When Jesus was gathered with His closest disciples he taught this enduring principle, "By this shall men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). In this, Jesus makes clear that it is not enough for His disciples to hear His words; He wants them to live by His word. In other words He wants us to do the things that He would do, to serve in the way that He served, and to love in the way that He loved. Only then can we truly be called disciples. 

The road of discipleship is long and filled with its own unique trials. Our faith will be attacked, loved ones will pass always, and suffering will enter our lives. We will have occasion to ask ourselves, am I on the right path? We will perhaps ask whether He that we follow is really everything He claimed to be? When these questions arise, we will be met with a decision to stay on the road of discipleship or to seek some other way. 

With my limited life experience, the only advice I can offer is to stop and consider what you might be leaving behind. Yes the path of discipleship is difficult and often demanding. However, it is the only path that allows us the hope of a Savior who will be "yoked" to us through it all. He has promised, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:18). I believe that our relationship with the Savior is more valuable and precious than any cost it might entail. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means being true to Him even when things become difficult. I know that this intimate discipleship will bring us greater joy than anything else, and will help us to become the men and women which God expects us to become.