Awaken Thru ComaSample

Devotional 4 – Matthew’s Song

Last devotional focused on a key to “living a life well done” - Repentance.

As you listened to Let Go of Me you could hear the tension of stepping out of an old mindset and choosing to step in to a new. Choosing God’s plans for their lives over their own original plans.

Sidenote: A song can make it sound easy in its few mins of play time. But believe me, the few mins on a track reflects a possible long season of an artist’s life. Let Go of Me is no different of a reflection.

Let’s pause here and ask God to help us learn as you get into this devo.

Heavenly Father, I want to believe that You have more plans for me than I can imagine. Plans for my good and not my destruction. I want to acknowledge that sometimes, I have trouble finding those plans. Sometimes I struggle to stay disciplined and focused on the things You have for me to be doing. I can get easily distracted. Holy Spirit, I invite You into this time to help me. To teach me.

Speak to my spirit.

Please speak to my heart.

As we journey through Chris’ album Coma, we come up on song #4 – Matthew’s Song. I’d like for you to listen to only the first minute and a half of the song.

(We’ll get into the second half soon enough!)

Go ahead and listen but stop it at one minute and a half.

With the last devo’s message of “changing our thinking to right thinking” (that’s repentance) …the question that comes to mind is:

“Ok, my thinking has been off but how do I change it?" or “How do I find right thinking?”

For the first minute and 25 seconds of Matthew’s Song, you have Chris say the same thing 3 times repeatedly.

“Make me a disciple

Lead me to the way

Everything I lived for

Is it all in vain…

(3rd time) It was all in vain.”

As Chris developed this song, it is a simple, yet genuine cry out of a hunger in his heart.

It is an expression of a longing to change his mindset. Change his perspective.

If you are journaling or writing things down as you journey through this album with these devo’s, I want to encourage you to write these lines down.

“Make me a disciple…lead me in the way…everything I lived for…is it all in vain…It was all in vain.”

What you’re writing down is a key to living a life that never goes back into the tomb. (Devotional 2)

A life that doesn’t spend much (if any more) time in a spiritual coma. (Devotional 1)

There is a spark spoken of in these words that has been burning in the hearts of man since before Jesus came to this earth over 2,000 years ago. That spark has been blown on and protected and passed down from generation to generation by a very select few and it is here today.

It’s still here now.

The actions it takes to protect this small spark are ones of humility and submission. But if someone would choose to humble themselves through this process we will discuss, that spark will have no choice but to grow from flame to fire.

What’s the process?

Become a True Disciple.

First, what is a disciple? As many people have heard, a simple definition (you’d think) of for disciple is: a student. But let me give you a little deeper of a definition I believe lines up better.

Webster’s Dictionary app defines “disciple” as: “One who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another”.

As you can see by definition, a “student” by our modern standard is not the cry here. In most school settings, students aim to pass enough tests in order to graduate and then go on to the next thing. If you’re not a student now, then I’m sure we all can remember forgetting things immediately after the tests were over.

Let me ask you: Is that your mindset with your spiritual life?

Reflect on that a moment.

By definition, we must change our mind on what it means to be a Disciple.

“A true disciple accepts and assists in spreading the doctrine of another” – Write this down.

“God, help me get this in my thinking.”

In biblical context, a disciple was someone who desired to have a Rabbi (a master/teacher) leading them.

What did he lead them in or to?

Everything…the Truth.

This is a deep topic and we won’t do this concept justice here but briefly, a disciple was someone who in Jesus’ day wanted to become a follower of someone who knew what they didn’t know spiritually. A disciple, when given the invite to “Come. Follow me.” would leave everything in order to learn everything the Rabbi did, said and taught. The goal was to become just like the Rabbi. As you would humble yourself to follow and submit to the Rabbi’s thinking, your thinking would become lined up with his. Your actions, your convictions, etc. would eventually all line up.

So, question: Are you willing to become a disciple?

Honestly, this concept can radically change your spiritual life. So be careful.

Would you say:

“Lord, make me a disciple.”…?

If you say that, you’re saying something no longer in ignorance. You’re saying I want to humble myself, my plans, my way and I’m asking you, God, to teach me Yours. Teach me Your Word. That’s what “doctrines” represents.

“God teach me to learn and spread Your principles, Your truth, Your way.”

You’re making a commitment to not just grasp for a test but to take up a life in Him. This commitment, even these thoughts should have some reverence to them. They should matter if you are one of those truly desiring to walk into life with God, He plans for you.

I’d like to return you here at the end of this devotional to the cry out of hunger you hear in Matthew’s Song: “Make Me A Disciple”. Listen to the beginning again, but this time, continue listening through the whole song. There’s a tension in the verses of doing something new but there has to be a letting go of the old way.

I believe that Jesus extends the offer to you.

The offer that has been burning for some time.

It’s the same one the first 12 disciples of Jesus heard and it’s being presented to you and to me:

“Come. Follow Me.” - Matthew 4:19

Honestly, as Jesus says this, He is not giving you a question.

He’s giving you a call and a command to follow Him.

If you choose to, He will lead you to places far beyond your past tomb. Places where there is life. It won’t be easy and you will have to fight your old mind set and repent often. You’ll have to read, study, and meditate on His Word like you haven’t ever before. Hiding it, like seeds being planted in your heart. But no matter how difficult the letting go of yourself might be,

He is worth it.

I pray for this reader. This studier. I pray Father, that they would be sensitive to this process that You’re calling them into. This hard and narrow path. The path to die to themselves on, but in doing so, become alive in You. I ask You to help them to remember that You are more for them than they are for themselves. You have been trying to get their attention for some time now. Remind them of the courage You have stored up down deep in them and awaken the hunger inside them to use it. May they deny the “rejection thoughts’ and choose to humbly get behind you as their Rabbi.

They won’t regret it.

Amen