Peggy and I like watching dancing with the stars on ABC. Good show. I like ballroom dancing. Can't do it, but like watching it. Kind of like football.
It's interesting to watch the skill levels increase in some and the transparent lack of desire on the part of others manifest every season.
There are the clowns. The ones like Penn Gillette last year and some comic this year that believe glibness and humor will get them by.
Then there are those who refuse the discipline of doing things as the trainer tells them they must to do survive and finish. Like Master P of a few years ago. There are a couple this year who believe that the natural talent and flourish will get them by. It won't.
And there are some who just can't fake it till they make it.
We root for them. But they fall away.
It's a lot like the kingdom of God.
Some receive the word of God with Gladness but it falls on shallow ground sprouts up and soon is burned away by the sun's heat. That's the clowns.
Some word falls into weedy ground and are choked out. These are the ones who rely on natural talent. When you are becoming discipled your natural talent must take a back seat.
Some become falls on rocky soil and just never take root. They are like the ones who fake it till they make it.
The ones who make it are those who listen to the master's words, who learn, who make a determined effort to develop, who devote themselves to the pursuit of excellence.
I once had a friend who asked me to disciple him. I tried. I attempted to meet with him. He never could quite make it. I decided that unless he wanted to he wouldn't get there.
When I became a christian at 30 years old I was so hungry, so desperate, that you would have had to beat me with a nail infested 2x4 to keep me away from hearing the word of God. It's still like that. I have people who think I'm marginally insane for the pursuit of God in my own life.
I don't understand a lack of Hunger in the lives of people who seem to be satisfied with things as they are. An elder at church said that people are at different levels in their journey and we need to keep from discouraging them which if we challenge them too much they might become discouraged.
I guess that's what Jesus did. HUH?
No he didn't. He pushed, pulled, poked and prodded the men who were to become his disciples and eventually apostles (those sent out in leadership to establish). He put them into situations they could learn from.
So, if it's OK with everybody, I'll push and pull and poke until you either get it or are voted out by the fans. Like dancing with the stars. You can't fake it. You can't get by on your natural ability. You must become devoted in the Pursuit of Jesus or you will fall out.
Even Jesus couldn't hold them all. In one case he lost his whole congregation. That good elder in church would have advised him to back off. Give em room to grow.
It's not like that on Dancing With the Stars and it's not like that in the Kingdom.
At least according to Jesus.
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