Discipleship

Lately I have been learning so much about discipleship.

It's like everything in my quiet time points to it. Everything in the books I am reading. Even in all the sermons my pastor has been preaching. Discipleship, Discipleship, Discipleship.

That is our calling as Christ followers.

 

The last command of Jesus was to "Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And I am with you always, to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:19

 

Why have we as Christians reduced that command to calling- saying that not everyone is called to that, but only a select few?

 

Discipleship means pouring out your life into someone else's. It means loving, serving, getting messy. David Platt puts it perfectly in his book "Radical":

"God's design for taking the gospel to the world is a slow, intentional, simple process that involves every one of his people sacrificing every facet of their lives to multiply the life of Christ in others.....Disciple making takes place multiple times every week in multiple locations by an army of men and women sharing, showing, and teaching the Word of Christ and together serving a world in need of Christ."

I'm probably about to step on people's toes with this...but I don't believe that many people disciple as we are called to. Some people do-don't get me wrong. But the majority of people just shake that person's hand that they are supposed to be discipling at church when they see them, they may even shoot them a text during the week. But is that really discipling the way Christ has called us to disciple? I believe that He was calling us to do more than a simple text. His master plan for reaching the nations was to make disciples who make disciples according to Matthew 28:19.

 

If discipleship is so important, then why is it being neglected? This has been weighing heavy on my heart. In this world full of instant self-satisfaction, sin, and greed, people care more about themselves than the people around them. And I am not making myself exempt from this. Selfishness is something that I struggle with everyday. However, just because it is how everyone acts, doesn't excuse us from doing what we are supposed to do.

 

From my experience, discipleship brings you closer to the Lord. It really holds you accountable! When you know someone is looking up to you, even coming to you with questions, it will push you to dig deeper in the word. How are you to answer if you haven't been studying-immersing yourself daily in His word?

 

Like I said before, I feel that it's essential to be both a Timothy and a Paul. An analogy someone once gave me was to imagine that everyone who is a Christ follower is a cup of water. One cup starts pouring into another cup till it begins to overflow. So the cup that was being poured into begins to pour into another cup, and then that cup begins pouring into another cup, etc. None of the cups are ever going dry because they are constantly pouring into each other. This is how we as Christians should be: constantly pouring into someone else, and teaching them to pour into another. That is the cycle, and that is how followers are made and kept. Not just getting fired up for a season, but for a lifetime.

 

I am so grateful for the women and leaders who have poured into me during my life. There have been people who sent me words of encouragement daily, people who have invited me into their homes, people who have hugged me and would sit with me while I would just vent to them, they would pray with me and for me. These people have shown me a tangible demonstration of Christ's love. I want to be that way.

 

 "..preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." - 2 Timothy 4:1-5

 

 

I want to fulfill my ministry. I don't want to make my life about me. I want my life to point to Christ.

I want to pour into others and experience more of who He is together.

 

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

-Hebrews 10:23-25

 

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace"

- 1 Peter 4:10

 

"Greet the friends, each by name."

-3 John 15b

( I just love this one because John doesn't say 'tell everyone I said hey'. He says 'greet them each by name.' I think this is a perfect example of discipleship. Making every single person feel special and loved. Just as Christ loves and knows all - we are to make everyone feel known and loved....but that's just my personal opinion.)

 

xoxo,

Lace