An autobiographical poem was discovered among the belongings of a young pastor in Zimbabwe. The pastor had been martyred for his faith in Christ. The poem is aptly titled, “Fellowship of the Unashamed.” Here are the pastor’s words:
“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His and I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I’m done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, or first, or tops, or recognized, or praised, or rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy Spirit power. My face is set. My gait is fast.
My goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way rough, my companions few, but my guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of the adversary. I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He does come for His own, He’ll have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear!”
This is the kind of disciple-first mindset that changes the world. It considers the cost of making disciples – the time, emotion, effort, and resources required – and says whole-heartedly that it’s worth it. When you have this unashamed mindset, Christ’s last command will be your first concern (Matthew 28.18-20 ESV).
Challenges to having an unashamed mindset
Unfortunately, everyone around you won’t embrace or even celebrate this mindset. There might be people in your church who laugh at your lofty ambitions. Family members might not understand your sacrifice. Friends might tell you to lighten up and stop taking the cause of Jesus so seriously.
Take heart in the fact that Jesus was also misunderstood and mocked. Jesus’ own mother didn’t fully comprehend what Jesus was doing (Luke 2.51 ESV). Jesus’ brothers opposed His efforts, called Him crazy, and tried to make Him stop (Mark 3.21 NLT).
Jesus calls each of His disciples to be radically, unashamedly committed to Him and His cause. Half-hearted commitment isn’t enough (Luke 14.26-27 ESV). He doesn’t want you to start and then stop. He wants you to join Him for the long haul: “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?” Luke 14.28 NLT.
Your calling is to be truly devoted to Jesus, progressively developing in His character and competencies, and actively deployed in His mission. It’s a life of complete surrender, total commitment, and eternal reward.
This blog features an excerpt from the Student Series book, Invest In A Few.
