Discipleship and success

Blogotional's John Schroeder has hit the nail on the head in his writings today on Christian success:

Becoming a Christian is not a means to an end. It is not a way of achieving what we want. Being a Christian IS the end, completely recalibrating what we want. Of course, it takes a while for any Christian to grow into that understanding, but my issue is why do we "sell" the baby steps instead of the whole package?

I think it is a tad bit deceptive to sell personal gratification when what we are offering is personal transformation. That such happens cannot be doubted - what else explains the revolving door that is so many ministries? What else explains how many go to church, but how few are active in church? What else explains the countless that went through a Christian "phase"?

I think the "why's" are pretty straightforward. Actually, it is just one "why." We do not understand the depth and radicalness of what we have a hold of much more than the people we are trying to give it to. What else can explain why we measure the success of ministry on worldly terms, not God's?

Right.The past few months I've been studying Matthew's gospel. Jesus' call throughout the narrative is simply "Follow me." Not until chapter 10 do we learn what that following really entails: "Whoever doesn't take up his cross and follow me isn't worthy of me" (Mt. 10:38). Ouch.