Years ago while attending a conference, I was asked, "If you never get to do what you feel the Lord is calling you to do, will your relationship with Jesus be enough?" I was greatly startled and rocked by this challenge. At the time, Carol and I had just become missionaries with Campus Crusade for Christ after ten years of major life changes, much prayer and discernment. I was so pumped and excited to finally "do" what the Lord was calling me to do. The last thing I wanted to hear was this kind of question. However, it deeply challenged and honestly convicted me. I knew I had become driven by "doing" for Jesus than actually "being" with Jesus. I had placed serving Jesus before knowing and loving Jesus. I discovered that day that I had it backwards. A love relationship with Jesus must be first.
Since that day I have discovered that many of the men I have met and discipled are challenged with "being with Christ" and are much more prepared to "do for Christ." I realize more than ever that if we want to be effective in making disciples, we must intentionally sit with Jesus to know Him and to grow in our love relationship with Him while being empowered by the Holy Spirit to go and do for Christ. Over the next several blogs, I will be exploring Jesus' teaching in John 15 "The Vine and the Branches" which stresses the need to be (abide) with Christ.