yellow_green_blueToo often in the past we have discipled people to knowledge rather that obedience. We consider it more important that they knew correct doctrine than that they practiced correct doctrine. In light of this, I recently heard a great story. It is about guy I know who has been an evangelist/ministry leader for many years in a nearby university.

It seems that a young student approached this man and asked to be “discipled” by him him. The answer my friend gave him was insightful and practical. He told the student to get three color hi-lighters: one green, one yellow, and one blue. He then directed the new disciple to go through the gospels and find all the commands of Jesus (there are about 300).

As he identified each command he was to mark the verse in green if he was obeying it and in yellow if he was not obeying it . After making it it all the way through the gospels he was to go through again learning how to obey all the commands marked in yellow. Each time he began to obey a “yellow” command he was to mark it in blue which would, of course, turn the verse green.

“When you have all the commands marked in green,” he concluded, “Come back and see me and I will will tell you what to do next.”

Jesus said, “Why do you keep calling Me Lord, Lord, when you don’t do what I say? (Luke 6:46)

Let’s begin to pray and work for a revival of obedience in our lives and ministries.