The other day during a conversation about time management and to-do lists and the like, I mentioned that I was a disciple of David Allen, who wrote “Getting Things Done.” Followers of Allen’s method are known as “GTDers.”
As soon as I said the word “disciple” I felt challenged. That is a strong word.
To be a disciple means I found a teacher who has something important to teach. The teacher shows a better way to live and provides guidance toward living it. I follow the teachings and the teacher. I do what the teacher says. I try to model the teacher.
That’s a challenge. I am a GTDer, but I don’t always follow the method. Then I compare back to the original thoughts and re-orient myself.
Jesus taught an entirely new way of living. A new way of relating to God. A way that subverted both the ruling Jewish leaders and the ruling Roman leaders. He gathered people around him. He called them disciples. They called themselves disciples. They tried to do what he taught. They tried to model themselves after the teacher.
It took them a while. They say new habits can be formed in about 21 days of doing a new practice. With the first disciples, it was more like 21 months. Or more.
But they did it. And passed it on. And now almost 2,100 years later, there are still disciples.
Disciples became known as “Christians.” But, as Andy Stanley has been emphasizing in his current series, that was a term used by those outside the group to describe the movement. It was not used by those inside–at least to start with. “Christian” is not defined in the Bible. But we know what a disciple is–and it entails hard work and commitment.
When someone asks if I’m a Christian, I prefer to say I’m a disciple of Jesus.
[Note for the curious–or those who would like to “get things done”: In brief, the GTD methodology entails writing everything down, emptying your mind, and putting the notes in a trusted place. Could be file folders or electronic. I use a program called Nozbe (affiliate link). Then you review all your notes every week and compile to-do lists. There’s more than that. If you’re challenged about getting things done, get the book and the Web app.]
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