So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple. – Luke 14:33, Amplified Bible (AMP).

I was involved in a discussion not long ago where there were differing opinions about what makes someone an “extrovert” or an “introvert.” Most people use the term “extrovert” to refer to “a gregarious (marked by or indicating a liking for companionship; sociable) and unreserved person.” Most people use the term “introvert” to refer to “a reserved or shy person.”

One person in the discussion stated that what makes people extroverts or introverts is not necessarily how sociable or how shy they are. He said that what makes people extroverts or introverts is what they draw their “energy” from. I had never heard that idea before, but it made sense when I looked up the definitions of “extroversion” and “introversion,” which are as follows:

Extroversion: the act, state, or habit of being predominantly concerned with and obtaining gratification from what is outside the self

Introversion: the state of or tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in one’s own mental life

An extrovert, then, is someone who draws energy from other people, and the resulting behavior is often that of a sociable person. In contrast, an introvert is someone who draws energy from self, and the resulting behavior is often that of a shy person.

I couldn’t help but think that there is a similar relationship between the words “Christian” and “disciple.” Christians are people who profess belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ, but they don’t necessarily adhere to or “draw energy” from those teachings. They have a basic sense of morality, and they rest in the hope of eternal life with Christ in Heaven after they die. But average Christians are still like average non-Christians; they draw energy from within themselves and from the pursuit of what pleases themselves. Like the unsaved, they live each day doing what they want. Unlike the unsaved, they usually submit to biblical moral boundaries, trying to avoid gross sin while pursuing their own goals.

“Disciples,” as Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines them, are “convinced adherents of a school or individual who accept and assist in spreading the doctrines of another.” Such people draw their energy and motivation not from the pursuit of their own way of life. They instead draw energy and motivation from helping another to spread his or her way of life. It follows, then, that Christian disciples don’t wake up every morning focused on the pursuit of their own goals. They wake up every morning wondering how they themselves can live out the goals of Christ, and they wonder how they can best help other people to do the same. They draw their energy not from themselves. They draw their energy from the Christ that saved them from eternal destruction.

Are you a Christian or a Christian disciple today? Do you draw your energy from the pursuit of the earthly things and of the earthly relationships that bring you pleasure? Or, do you draw your energy from the pursuit of Christ’s way and from your pursuit of your relationship with Christ? Be honest with yourself as you ask these questions. If you haven’t yet graduated to the position of one of Christ’s disciples, today is as good a day as any to ask God to help you begin drawing your energy from Him.

* All definition are from Merriam Webster Dictionary’s iPad app.

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