“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said ‘Here am I. Send me'” (Isaiah 6:8).
The first characteristic of a disciple of Jesus is faithfulness.
The second characteristic of a disciple is availability. A disciple of Jesus Christ is available to be used by God for God’s purposes.
One of our favorite hymns is “Here I am Lord.”
I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry. All who dwell in deepest sin, my hand will save. I who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright. Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?
Here I am Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.
Being available to God for God’s purposes certainly includes one’s willingness. I can go. I will do it. But there is more to being available to God.
When I was a youth pastor, there was a high school senior who wanted to be a part of the praise band as the drummer. He would have been an awesome drummer! He was a musician and a fantastic drummer.
But, even though he was willing, he was not ready. You see, the kid was a notorious dealer. Unless he changed and stopped dealing, he was not ready yet. His life did not match his desire to serve. If he genuinely wanted to serve, he would need to change his life. But, that he was not willing to do. And his unwillingness to change made him unavailable. He had the talent, the ability, and the willingness. But because he was unwilling to change his life, he was not available.
Being available to God also includes living a God-honoring life so that when God calls, we are not only willing, but that we have readied our lives to match God’s calling.
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 3:3).
The first characteristic of a disciple of Jesus is faithfulness.
What does it mean to be faithful? What does faithfulness look like? How can one be faithful?
The Hebrew word for faithfulness is emeth. This word primarily means firmness, faithfulness, and truth. It speaks of someone or something that is reliable, sure, and stable.
There are a couple of things to be aware regarding faithfulness:
First, being faithful is not the same thing as being perfect. The only one who has ever been truly and perfectly faithful is Christ. This doesn’t mean that what’s required of us is well-meaning or wishful thinking. We should be reliable, sure, true, firm, and faithful. We should be able to be counted on. Without faithfulness, truth, and reliability, relationships break down. Trust breaks down.
Faithful people can be counted on.
Second, being faithfulness is pre-determinedness. Let me explain. If you wait until a moral, spiritual, relational situation where faithfulness, truthfulness, firmness, reliableness, sureness is required to determine to be faithful, you are asking for trouble. When it comes to being faithful, this is something that needs to be decided upon long before a compromising situation arises.
Being faithful to God is a predetermined decision.
You choose to be faithful long before a situation that requires your faithfulness arises. If you’ve predetermined to be faithful, then when a compromising situation arises, you don’t even have to think about it. The decision to be faithful has already been made. Compromise is not even an option because you’ve already predetermined to be faithful.
Do you get how faithfulness works?
The first characteristic of a disciple/follower of Jesus Christ is faithfulness.
Imagine these words describing every Christ follower:
Praxis: Faith in Action 