The Essence of Discipleship

Today I was studying for an upcoming series on Grace that we are doing at our student ministry. I was looking over some highlights in a book that I read this past year (The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges), and came across this quote that caused me to pause and think.

“To live no longer for ourselves but for Him is the essence of discipleship.”

It is a daily battle to not “live for ourselves”. What could motivate us to live for such a thing? What could push us to set our desires and self-interest aside for the things that He desires? The answer is simply His Love.

When we come face to face with the reality of the love that Jesus has for you and I and we understand our dependence on the grace that is found in His Love, it changes what we live for. His love for us goes beyond anything we can understand. That thought is hard for me to even imagine!

When I understand how God gave love, it motivates me to give. When I receive that “self-less” love, it moves me to want to live a “self-less” life. The Love of God is so amazing!