You Are What You Love: Re-Envisioning Christian Discipleship

James K. A. Smith is a well respected philosopher and theologian. His new book You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit provides a less technical version of a previous work Desiring the Kingdom, which calls Christians to change our approach to discipleship. This series will provide the foundation for our discipleship. Each week I will draw out some of the main points to focus on how they affect the discipling of our children. I then hope to help bring questions that will guide your family in implementing it. Readers of this series are encouraged to read the book for themselves as we will only scratch the surface of the content.

Chapter 1 – You Are What You Love: To Worship Is Human
As modern people we’re inclined to believe this myth about ourselves that, “human beings are fundamentally thinking things” (3). Said another way, we believe that if we have the right information then our emotions, will, and behavior will fall into line. Because of this modern myth, Christians often approach discipleship as primarily teaching the right ideas and information. While right understanding is important, it does very little to change our desires or behavior. This notion may be self-evident when we look around us. How hard is it for someone to quit smoking or drugs despite knowing how harmful it is? How many times have we listened to a sermon, resolved to change our behavior, but in a week’s time are back to our old habits?

As people, we carry some idea of what the good life is, which we unconsciously strive toward. It’s the end (i.e. purpose) around which our lives revolve. This end, however, “is not something that we primarily know or believe or think about; rather, our [end] is what we want” (11). While we may be intellectually convinced what the best thing is, our desires betray a different end that we strive toward.

Let me flesh this out. As Christians, we fundamentally believe that holiness is good and sin leads to destruction and despair. However, we’ve all known someone (and have often been one if we’re honest) who claims Christianity is true but still desires sin – and reflexively indulges it. Whether it’s through unforgiveness, anger, lust, etc. we cling to it because in some real way we desire it, though intellectually we know it’s not good. The problem is not belief or understanding, but an issue of what we truly love – the thing which will grant ultimate goodness and happiness.

What does this have to do with Discipleship?
For both ourselves and those that we are looking to disciple, the focus should be on reaching the imagination rather than merely acquiring information. That which grabs our imagination is what will control our loves, out of which then follows our will and behavior. As Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote, “If you want to build a ship don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach to long for the endless immensity of the sea” (11). As a Christian leader – whether it’s leading a small group, my family, or even myself – we must cultivate the imagination to pursue God’s kingdom over the millions of counterfeits produced by our world. Accomplishing such a monumental task will ultimately take all of who we are. Further segments will hopefully guide you and the family to produce imagination and love shaping experiences into your family’s life.

Some questions to ponder and discuss with your spouse:

In what ways (if any) have I assumed that discipleship was more about teaching information to our child(ren) rather than reforming their heart?
When I’m allowed to just think, what kinds of things do I tend to think about? What holds my imagination? This can reveal areas where my heart may need recalibrating. Most likely it flows into how your household operates.
If aliens were observing our household, what do you think they would assume our lives revolved around? Entertainment? Shopping? Sports? Work? Church?