CHRISTIAN OR DISCIPLE? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

The best way to know someone's voice is by carving out time to be with them and truly listen. Transitioning from the title of “Christian” to having a real relationship with God begins when you create space to sit with Him. God wants your time for your benefit. He doesn’t want your obligation - He wants your relationship.

You might think, how does time with God benefit me? I'm glad you asked. For one, time with God begins to heal your wounds from the inside out. It softens your perspective and helps you understand forgiveness in a new light. It creates a space for understanding Holy Spirit as your comforter and peace provider. Give God your time, and He will be the Spirit that sustains and restores you like nothing else. That is why King David was such an avid worshiper. He found that the presence of God sustained him.

7 "I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me." - Psalms 16:7-8

David knew the presence of God. So much so that he wrote 75 Psalms about their relationship. He carried the presence of God with him before Jesus walked the earth!

13 "So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on..." 1 Samuel 16:13

We are given a look into the man who was after God's own heart. He carried the presence of God with him, exactly like we can today. That is what makes him so loved and cherished by God. I never understood why King David had so much passion and zeal for God until I understood what it was like to be carrying the presence of God. My true awareness of Him within me changed everything.

Definition of Christian : of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ:

Definition of Disciple : one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: such as Christianity : one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ's followers according to the Gospel accounts

At the beginning of 2020, I transitioned from "Christian" to Disciple by giving God what He wanted most: my time and my heart. Once I surrendered my entire heart, it was like a switch flipped. I was no longer just a member of Christianity, the religion. Very quickly, spending time in the presence of God became more important than everything else. It didn’t matter how it looked; I just wanted to be with Him. Sometimes I heard Him speak, sometimes I just felt Him with me. Sometimes I couldn’t hear or feel Him, but I knew in faith that He met me and heard me every time. He never shows up late, and He never gets distracted—He is always fully present with me even when I am not with Him.

I realized that I was always on God’s mind and that He never changes His mind about me. God was no longer an angry dictator who shamed me for missing a church service, forgetting to read my Bible daily, or only praying during emergencies. Time with God became like eating and drinking: mandatory. I began to rely on the presence of God. I found myself not being able to go without worshiping and talking to God about EVERYTHING. Setting aside 30 minutes to an hour in the morning or evening suddenly felt easy. I suddenly started to understand the incredible love King David felt for God.

7 "Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe." - Psalms 5:7

When we are with Him, we are made whole and complete. That is why spending time with God is so important. It shows us our original design in the garden of Eden: to truly walk with God. Through Jesus's sacrifice, we now get to be temples of the Holy Spirit. We have the honor of becoming the sacred place that houses the holiness of our God so that there is no separation. His sacrifice gave us our original birthright: infinite access to dwell freely with our God. You have the freedom to give Him your time.

“…For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” - 2 Corinthians 6:16