How do you know if you are growing as an apprentice of Jesus? A triangle is one of the tools I use to see if I’m growing.
Last week we wrapped up our series on 3D Living, which was all about discovering the three dimensions of apprenticing in the way of Jesus. Around Living Hope, we use a triangle to represent 3-dimensional living and refer to the dimensions as UP, IN and OUT. Each of these three dimensions is needed if we are to become what Jesus envisioned. If one of the dimensions is missing, then life is less than Jesus envisions. If you missed one of the weeks when we talked about a dimension, you could catch up on our YouTube channel:
UP – https://youtu.be/pnA2XziF-Mw
IN – https://youtu.be/sEz6HHc-il4
OUT – https://youtu.be/abdG1QKdmhA
From time to time, I will sit down with a piece of paper, draw a triangle on it, and then label the top point as UP, the right point as IN, and the left point as OUT. Having drawn the triangle, I will begin to evaluate how I am doing in each dimension and give myself a score from 1-10. I ask myself:
- How is my UP? Am I growing in my passionate devotion and intimacy with God? Have I given up or grown lax in the intentional practices that help me communion with him?
- How is my IN? Am I being apprenticed in the Jesus way of living by someone? Am I apprenticing someone? Am I actively engaging in community with other apprentices of Jesus?
- How is my OUT? Am I embodying the gospel…am I gospelling? Do I look for ways to bless those I encounter with the love and good news of Jesus Christ in both word and deed?
After scoring myself, I’ll focus on the lowest score and identify 1-2 steps I can take over the next 21 days to grow in that dimension.
There are two reasons why I do this.
First, because a pastor I once knew would often quote Socrates, who once said, “an unexamined life is not worth living.” Too often, I am guilty of letting the frenetic pace of life consume me, and I go through days, months, or years without reflecting on how I’m doing. Just as we go for an annual physical, get our eyes checked, or teeth examined to ensure we are healthy, we need to check in with other aspects of our lives. We must slow down and evaluate every part of our life – physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual – otherwise things will never change.
Second, because a mentor once said to me, “What gets measured gets done.” If I don’t or can’t give myself a score, then I haven’t really reflected and evaluated how I’m doing. I give myself a score to know where I have grown and where I need to grow further.
Apprenticing in the way of Jesus is about learning a way of life different from what we see in the world around us, different from what we were taught in school, or our family’s origin. If we are truly going to grow in the way of Jesus, then we will have to take time to examine our lives and determine if we have grown and where we need to grow.
I would encourage you this week to take some time, sit down, draw a triangle, and evaluate your UP, IN, and OUT. Then identify one area where you need to grow as an apprentice of Jesus.
This Sunday, Al Fedorak will be speaking on John 21:1-23. I hope you’ll join us and grow with us as disciples of Jesus, just as Jesus envisions.
Pastor Kirk
