I saved a few vacation days and with my wife got away to the mountains of New Mexico. It was beautiful with the leaves turning gold on the aspen trees. The time to think and read was precious.
As a part of my reading (and in preparation for an upcoming series of Wilderness Way articles), I delved back into Dallas Willard’s great classic The Divine Conspiracy. The subtitle of the book speaks volumes – Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. The opening of chapter 8 struck me forcibly. Willard writes: “Who teaches you? Whose disciple are you? Honestly. One thing is sure: You are somebody’s disciple.” (p. 271)
I paused to do some personal inventory. The name that of course leaps immediately to my mind is that I want and intend to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Indeed the foundational affirmation that “Jesus is Lord” is declaration of both intend and purpose. Yet, as Willard later points out, virtually all of us are disciples of multiple significant teachers in our life. He comments: “IT is one of the major transitions of life to recognize who has taught us, mastered us, and then to evaluate the results in us of their teaching.” (p. 272)
I found myself with much to reflect, meditate and pray about. I know how blessed I have been by a variety of excellent mentors (both current and in the past). I also know how continually challenged I am to keep the Lord as my primary, first and foremost, mentor. With the Apostle Paul, my firm decision is to work from this focused center. (II Corinthians 5:15, Mg)