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How to Be the Best Disciple You Can Be

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

The season of Lent provides the perfect framework to reflect on your life. It is the season to ask if you are the best disciple of Jesus Christ that you can be? Is God truly first in your life, in every area of your life? Even in trials and difficulties, can you look back and find that God has blessed you? How do you respond to Him for those blessings?

As stewards, as disciples of Jesus, we acknowledge that the greatest gifts that God gives us are mercy, forgiveness, and unconditional love. And the grandest of all gifts is that our faith in Him brings us to eternal life with Him in heaven. Our best response, in all humility and overwhelming gratitude, is the intentional practice of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. 

Prayer purifies our intentions and relates everything we do to God.

Fasting detaches us from ourselves and our comforts.

Almsgiving is giving to the needs of the poor and reflects our brother/sisterhood with them. It is imitating the generosity of Jesus and reminds us that our wealth is not in things, but in the love of God. Here are a few Bible verses on giving alms:

  • Matthew 19:21   Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
  • Luke 11:41   But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.
  • Proverbs 22:9   The generous will be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.
  • Sirach 7:10   Do not be impatient in prayer or neglect almsgiving.
  • Sirach 35:4   One who gives alms presents a sacrifice of praise.

This Lent, and always, put God first in every facet of your life:

            First in your Time – offering your day to God in prayer.

            First in your Talents – using them to serve others; fasting from self-serving intentions.

            First in your Treasure – giving alms to help the most vulnerable amongst us. 

May God bless you this Lenten season. 

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Blessed are You who are Poor

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Luke’s Gospel addresses the real economic and social conditions of our lives. At Chapter 6, v20 he recounts Jesus saying, “Blessed are you who are poor.” Luke sees the poor as those who are dependent on God. They trust that God knows their needs and will provide. Their joy is the hope in God’s promise of eternal life. 

By contrast, at v24 Jesus says, “But woe to you who are rich.”  The rich feel comfortable in their situation. They look to their wealth to bring them joy. They are self-satisfied that it is by their own efforts and abilities  that they have accomplished their feats and accumulated their wealth. They have no need for anyone’s help. They are independent of God and everyone else. 

You may have millions in your bank and investment accounts. But are you happy? Do you have peace? No matter how much money you have, do you acknowledge God as the one who gives you the power to obtain wealth (Dt. 8:18) and admit your dependence on Him?

The Old Testament readings for this past Sunday tell us where to find our joy. Jeremiah 17:7-8 tells us, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord. They are like a tree planted beside a stream.” Psalm 1 similarly says the one who meditates on the law of the Lord finds their joy. He is like a tree planted near water. Trusting God and obeying the commandments is what brings us the peace and happiness we seek – not money. 

In gratitude for His blessings, God commands that we put Him first in every area of our lives. In our financial life, that means we give to God first before any other expense. We give from the first fruits. We give sacrificially. Giving sacrificially causes us to be mindful of our dependence on God. Giving sacrificially is using money as a tool to grow closer to God. It deepens our faith and trust in Him rather than in our own abilities. 

We all need philanthropy. Philanthropy gives meaning and purpose to our life. It brings us a sense of satisfaction. So give to further the mission of the church and build God’s kingdom here on earth. Give sacrificially. Give joyfully. Try Him in this (Mal 3:10) and see if then you find the sense of peace and happiness that is beyond understanding.  

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The Gospel Calls Us to Live Differently

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

The Gospel calls us to live life differently. We see an example of that in Luke 5:11 where Jesus calls Peter, James, John, and Andrew to follow Him, to make them fishers of men. They dropped their nets and did just that. They left everything to follow him. They lived their lives differently from that point on. 

The overarching theme for discipleship in Luke’s Gospel is complete detachment from material things. That is counter-cultural in our society where we tend to measure success and happiness by how much stuff we have. We seem to place our trust and our sense of safety and wellbeing in the home we live in, how nice a car we drive, how many shirts and pairs of shoes are in our closet. 

We see in the example of the disciples and the lives of the saints that that’s just not important. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we’re to be different. We are to detach from the consumeristic drive for more and more stuff, drop it, leave that stuff behind like Peter and his brothers left their nets, and put God first. This is living stewardship. Stewardship is the call  to live simply, be vulnerable and humble. To acknowledge that doing God’s will and loving our neighbor is more important than accumulating assets because, in fact, we do leave it all behind.

What are you proud of and what do you hang on to that gets in the way of putting God first in every area of your life? Jesus calls us to leave everything behind and follow Him. What cultural expectations stop you from leaving your safety nets, giving courageously, and trusting Him to provide all that you need? How can you detach? Whatever it is that you cling to so tightly, bring it to the Cross, leave it there, and receive God’s love and mercy. Then give thanks to the Lord with all your heart. Sing His praise (Psalm 138:1-2). Put God first ahead of everything. Embrace a life of stewardship and declare along with the prophet Isaiah in Ch. 6:8, “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”

Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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the Presentation

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

This Sunday we celebrated the Presentation of the Lord. We read about it in chapter 2 of Luke’s Gospel where Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem for the presentation, to consecrate their first born to God. Good Jews, they were being obedient to the Mosaic law. 

Can you envision the scene? I think of a place like St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Cavernous. Beautiful. The aroma of incense floating in the air. People milling about while others are kneeling and praying. Here comes this young couple with their infant approaching the altar, probably a bit awestruck. An old man rushes up to them and grabs the baby. Mary’s in shock. Joseph is about to punch the man. Of course, baby Jesus is unphased. But Simeon cradles Jesus in his arms as his eyes follow the smoke of the incense rise to the highest arch above the altar. He blesses God and shares his prophecy. He tells them of Jesus’s destiny and of Mary’s calling to care for God’s gift to her of this baby, and how she herself will be pierced by a sword. I imagine Mary and Joseph standing there, agape, asking, “What did you say?” Verse 33 says they were amazed.

Are you amazed at God’s call on you? God calls all of us. He gives each of us unique talents and abilities. As obedient disciples, we are to receive them gratefully, develop and manage them well, and use them to serve others and build His kingdom. Do you acknowledge God for all your gifts and talents? Do you strive to use them in ways that honor Him? When you do, you are building your legacy. You are making a difference in the lives of your loved ones for the good of the community. You are being the disciple God calls you to be. 

Praise God for all the blessings and benefits He gives to you. Give in return out of gratitude and love to honor God for His gifts to you. 

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When One Suffers – All Suffer

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

This past Sunday we read in 1 Corinthians 12: 26 that when one part of our body suffers, all of the body suffers. Am I living that out now. I’m suffering from a sinus infection. My nasal passages are jammed up. My eyes are puffy. And so my entire body drags through the day. This has been going on for three weeks now. I went to see the doctor and he tells me, “Mr Joe, at your age…” He obviously flunked the class on bedside manners in Medical School.

Isn’t it interesting how a tiny ailment – a hangnail for example – can affect us. It seems our entire body is in pain. In this cold weather season, I get little fissures at my fingernails. Man they hurt. How can something so small and seemingly insignificant cause such aggravation and distraction? 

We know from practical experience that if one part suffers, all parts suffer with it. If you’ve ever had a kidney stone, You know what I mean. This is true for our bodies, and it is Biblically true for the Body of Christ. 

The Great Commandment – Love

Jesus gives us the great commandment to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. When a neighbor suffers, we suffer. When someone suffers homelessness and unemployment, our community suffers. Those suffering addictions, our community suffers with them. Young women struggling to figure out how to have and keep that baby, only to find no help – we all suffer. How can we, as good stewards, alleviate their suffering? How can we disciples of Jesus step up and make a difference in the lives of those suffering? How can our stewardship of all the blessings God gives to us, in turn, be a blessing to those in need?

Let’s pray about how we, as good stewards, as disciples, can make an impact on our families and our community for the good of God’s kingdom, “Lord, give me the wisdom to know how to serve, and the courage to do it.” Amen.

 

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