I started listing ways that following Christ has required my behaviour to be modified constantly through my life. It gets very long but as I get older, maybe it is time pass it on to the next generation, what being a follower of Jesus practically might mean, as it has been taught me and as I would teach it to others. Note: Some of this was not self-taught, it took miracuolous events to teach and correct my behaviour. Here we go. Prayerfulness, asking for justice from God (to avoid violence, to avoid taking matters in my own hands), staying calm and focussed on today, never lying and always keeping my words and even my thoughts honest and truthful and my actions in line with truth, keeping hypocrisy out of my actions and words as much as possible, trying not to exalt myself, gratefully letting others correct me in truth when they can, recognising that truth is real and very important, controlling anger so it does not unjustly harm others, being constantly kind to the poor, forgiving others, treating others in the way we want to be treated, freely encouraging and building up the believers with sound doctrine and kindness, loving God by keeping God’s words visible at home and teaching them to others, working hard and honestly to provide for needs instead of leeching off others or stealing, staying content and never greedy, helping believers adjust their behaviour obediently, not causing them to stumble by mine, practicing continual self-development, meditating for calm inner hopeful joy and peace, asking for the daily dose of the Holy Spirit, asking for healing if necessary and avoiding medicine, these are some of the main ways I find my behaviour is called to change by Jesus’ teachings. Most of all, reflecting constantly on teachings of Jesus and welcoming them when they come back to me to guide my actions, correct me or tell me how to be a better person more pleasing to God and acceptable to Jesus the Master, and letting them educate my mind to be more truthful, knowledgable about Jesus and the Father and everything in the truth, spiritual and ready for an eternity with Jesus, the Father and believers and holy angels. Letting them guide me to make big adjustments in my life to accommodate eternal goals. It is all a lot when I list it. So much that comes from holding to Jesus’ teachings. Not to mention optional things like Sabbath keeping (optional for Gentiles). All this before even stepping foot in church assemblies. These are the private things of a discipleship life. The ways to be integrated with a church make keeping even more teachings necessary. My work and the lockdowns and my dropping mandated Trinitarianism keep me away from church at present. Probably best because some of my sins would warrant being shunned, even though the kind church folk would disagree at probably welcome me warmly. Keeping communion online helps with this isolation though, now that I find an online church holds it regularly. Getting baptised was an important step of obedience in my youth too, once I realised following Jesus was for me. All this took me years to learn even though I started early. Only now after many years does it start to dawn on me that this is real and not just what a book says. Most of my discipleship life I have been merely struggling to learn what the scriptures say and which oral traditions are true ones to follow - all finding out what to do. Only recently does it become clearer that this is true and real, not just words. At some point it became necessary to accept the miraculous side of Jesus’ teachings. It is part of discipleship to do the equivalent of walking on water, exercising miraculous faith in God. Then it starts to get very real. Words alone do not change the surroundings but words of faith inspired to faith by Jesus’ words, this does affect the natural world in which God has placed us. Letting God take it up a level too. Then incorporating such faith into daily work too affects outcomes and increases wealth according to God’s will in service to God according to the Master Jesus. This gets real too, increasing what God provides, being a faithful steward. Once you do such worldly wealth service enough, Jesus rewards it by giving spiritual responsibilities too. Faithful in worldly wealth leads to being faithful in spiritual things too. It is a career in itself to follow Jesus. Not a church worker career like a hired hand, no a voluntary whole life commitment that never stops.
