I  don't want to be a Christian in name only. I have no interest in merely going to church because it is acceptable. I don't want to force myself to pray just because it is expected. When I decide to give money or food to the homeless guy at the mall I want to give out of genuine compassion, not because it is the 'Christian' thing to do.

There is nothing I have done on my own to deserve the title "disciple of Jesus Christ", yet that is exactly what I want to be. Jesus Christ traveled around the ancient Holy Land for three years establishing His identity as the Son of God, the Messiah and the Savior who was sent to repair the broken relationship between man and Creator God. Why would I not want to follow Him?

Because it requires commitment, that's why. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ involves giving up our pride and submitting our self to the service of the rejected, abused, tortured, killed and risen Son of God. Following Christ means that I totally surrender my desires to the will of God. It means I may have to make a decision to put myself into an uncomfortable situation in order to truly minister to a needy soul.

I can do this because I realize that the man who walked the earth teaching about our need of God, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind and raising the dead was not just a man at all. He was totally human and at the same time was totally God. He felt hunger, sleeplessness and pain but never sinned. He trod in sandals across the rocky countryside while at the same time slipping gently into the souls of those who accepted His message.

That is someone truly worth following. I want to learn to communicate for effectively with Him, worship Him with integrity, and serve Him faithfully. I choose to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.