To Be a Disciple of Christ

There is a clear and powerful distinction between being a Disciple and a worshiper. When one is a Disciple, one does far more than sing the praises of one's Master, and punish one's own body, mind, or spirit for being inadequate.

Here's a little secret: when you worship a god, be it Jesus, Allah, Vishnu, Zeus, Osiris, or any of the others, you do so because there is something about that entity, and the philosophy behind it, that you find exemplifies your own views of what perfection means. Since the personification of the idea in question is a matter of perfection, or the ultimate state, then of course you aren't going to be your god's equal.

If you were utterly without sin, would you worship Jesus? If you had achieved Nirvana, would you bow to Buddha?

We worship the gods we do because they bring meaning to our lives in a way that we cannot define on our own. Jesus brings us a message of love and forgiveness. Being a Disciple of Jesus means taking that message to heart, not just worshiping the messenger.

A Disciple strives to learn, to grow, and to be more like the God he serves. A worshiper merely pays a tithe of devotion. A worshiper lives his life on his knees, a Disciple walks beside his God.

Ironically, in Christianity's case, it seems that most of the worshipers do a better job of walking through life at Jesus's side than the would-be Disciples do. Many of the latter do little but give testimony to their own sin, their own failures, and how poor comparisons they are to Jesus. Telling others how poor a person you are only shows how poor a person you are, not how great Jesus is. Telling others how poor people they are doesn't get you very far either.

Of course you are sinful, and don't measure up to Jesus's standards - Jesus is revered as the Son of God for a reason. Striving to be more like Him, and embody more of His traits is admirable, but the enlightened seeker understands that he will never measure up to that standard of perfection.