15 “When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”
Mark 5: 15 and 18-20 NIV
5min read
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus calls those who seek Him to find purpose as His disciples. And as followers of Christ He calls each of us to be ‘fishers of men,’ reaching out and grasping the hands of those who are in need. He instructs His followers to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy and drive out demons. We have all been called to walk in this purpose, and it is through the power of our testimony that we can then glorify His name. In Matthew 10 He instructs, ‘freely you have received, freely give.’ This is part of His redemptive plan for all of humanity.
But in life I know I can struggle at times to see what discipleship looks like. And our God is so gracious and kind that even in the mundane He shows up and gives us wisdom in moments of everyday life. A few weeks back my daughter had commenced gymnastics. And in one of her classes I witnessed this beautiful illustration of what discipleship looks like to me. My daughter was walking along the balance beam practising what her teacher had instructed, and as she finishes she turns around and see’s a younger girl behind her who appears to be lacking in confidence. She watches her for a moment, and without hesitation she walks up to her and offers her a hand of help. My daughter guides this younger girl while holding her hand as she makes her way along the balance beam. This moment gave me such clarity as to who I believe God calls each of us to be; His disciples and a bondservant to Christ. He calls us to be His hands and feet, laying down our lives and taking up our cross to accomplish His work. We are called for this purpose. This can look like a moment of encouragement, a moment of truth, a moment of guidance or empathy, where we turn back and grab someone else, being the light of Christ that draws them to the gospel.
5 “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”
Matthew 10: 5-8 NIV
And one of the most beautiful things about God’s word is that nothing goes wasted. Every struggle, every season of doubt and confusion, every moment the enemy has meant for evil, God turns it for good. It is through our suffering and heartache that we can glorify His name. Because it’s only He who can restore that brokenness and turn it into something beautiful. So be His hands and feet, speaking to those around us about our testimonies and showing them what our God can do. And let them question why we forgive so easily? Why we love even when it doesn’t make sense? Why we find peace in the pain? Why we speak life and not death? Why we find excitement in others excitement? This is the power that can draw others around us to find healing in His word.
He calls us to take what we have received and give it freely. His love, His compassion, His forgiveness, His kindness, His joy. Our God is a God of multiplication, He sows the seed of His word into us, and we reap. But then we must invest our blessing by being His hands and feet and showing that same blessing to those around us. He does not want us to keep this for ourselves. We are called to be disciples of Christ and it is through His empowerment, guidance and equipping we can then spread the good news of the gospel to all the nations of the world. This is our purpose, this is part of His redemptive plan to save all of humanity.
28 “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 1: 28 NIV
When you have been touched by the hand of God, turn back and grab someone else’s hand. And be the pathway that leads them to finding His perfect, empowering love. This is our calling, to discipleship.
Nadia x
All for His Glory