The Christian Disciple, A Follower Of Jesus - 1217 Words

The Christian disciple is a follower of Jesus who pursues morality through a life of faith and obedience to Christ and His teachings. The faithful disciple places absolute trust in God while he embarks on a quest for a fulfilling life rich in virtue and happiness. Discipleship specifically emphasizes a simplistic lifestyle focused on rejecting consumerism and giving to those in need. In practicing asceticism, however, a follower of Jesus is faced with the decision between two separate Christian lifestyles: rigorous discipleship and responsible consumption. While both of these adaptations center on devotion to the Church, they differ in their understanding of simplicity as presented by the Bible. While rigorous discipleship stresses one’s†¦show more content†¦A disciple seeks to overcome the â€Å"fantasy of consumerism† in order to liberate himself from the unhealthy constraint of material goods (CML 31). The absence of materialism allows him to â€Å"find joy and satisfaction more in friendships rather than in possessions† (CML 31). It is the common myth of consumerism that material goods fulfill our wants and thereby make us feel complete. However, this ceaseless desire for wealth and possessions alienates us from personal relationships, therefore diminishing us as human beings. Trapped in the cycle of consumerism, we are often unable to identify the source of our happiness, which, as human beings, is through social and loving relationships with others. Free from an overabundance of material goods, we are able to identify and fulfill the â€Å"desires and devotions that truly bring us to life and complete us† (CML 31). It is this practice of simplicity that allows one to connect with God and others. Clearly, an important aspect of discipleship is the rejection of materialism, but rigorous discipleship and its radical idea of â€Å"holy poverty† is an outdated and unnecessary path for most of today’s practicing Christians. Though an admirable path followed by respectable individuals such as Mother Teresa and Dorothy Day, the extreme lifestyle of rigorous discipleship makes it unrealistic for the majority of Christians. It calls for the follower to live a life free of possessions, to satisfy only the most basic of needs, and to give