Discipleship.
What does that word even mean?
Why is it important?
What does that look like today?
How do I find someone that can disciple me?
When do I know I am ready to disciple someone else?
How do I find someone to disciple?
If only I could have a penny for each time I heard these questions.
So many people have so many questions about discipleship because we as a Christian community have not addressed this subject enough.
Discipleship is one of the most important practices that Jesus Christ himself showed us throughout His life. He lived with and taught 12 disciples who went on to bring His message to an entire world. What did He do that gave these disciples such vision and passion, and how can we continue in the path He has laid before us?
Well, I am so glad you asked! I am so glad these questions are on your heart, because that means God is at work, creating godly desires within you, so that you glorify Him and live out His purpose for your life. While I have only been learning a lot about discipleship in the last few years, God has given me such a passion for discipleship. Every Christian should be discipled, and every mature Christian who is seeking the Lord and practicing the spiritual disciplines should be discipling a younger Christian. There is a belief deep within my heart that this is God's vision for the church, whether that is an unrealistic idea which might never come to fruition this side of paradise.
Some might also disagree about what constitutes a "mature" disciple because some categorize "mature" using different measures; however, many Christians grow through leading other Christians. If they can handle all the responsibilities that comes with leading others, usually that Christian blows others away with how God uses their willing spirit. So what is mature? That is tricky and completely situational, but basically the discipler needs to be praying for the person they are discipling, seeking the Lord, living out their faith, and farther along in their walk with the Lord that the person they are leading (and preferably older). These standards are not too harsh and not too lax, and allow room for God's people to make appropriate, Spirit-led judgment calls.
One problem that I do notice is that many Christians shy away from this responsibility from the fear or feeling of inadequacy or not being able to answer someone's questions or solving their problems. What nonsense! God equips those He calls, and discipleship is not just a mentorship or an apologetics program for those who struggle with doubt. One quote from an old Sunday School teacher comes to my mind, "They do not care how much you know until they know how much you care." Discipleship is about living a life of faith alongside brothers and sisters, and sharpening one another for the glory of God. That is the whole point!! Not being able to answer questions, but being able to seek God and look up the answers in the Word with the person right there. Discipling someone doesn't require perfection, it requires a humble Spirit willing to hear God and speak love, affirmation, and truth only after you have listened and asked countless questions to gain more insight and understanding.
So why don't we do this? In Discipleship Essentials by Greg Ogden, there is a chart in the beginning that shows how many people would come to know Christ if one Christian witnessed to one person a day who accepted Christ. Each year the number would increase by 365, and many would hear and accept the Gospel. Then he showed what would happen to the church if a Christian discipled two people who accept the Lord each year, and then those people also start to disciple two people. Since the growth is exponential and not just additional, at the end of 20 years, the number of followers that are mature and giving back to the Lord is almost triple the number from the first scenario. Not only that, but Jesus' plan of spreading the Gospel was discipleship, as talked about in Dr. Coleman's book The Master Plan of Evangelism.
So again, God's people, what is holding us back?
No really, what would ever stop us from imitating our Lord by "making disciples of all nations"? (Matthew 28:19)
