Discipleship

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:19-20

Having a personal relationship with Jesus is magnificent, but, it is incomplete if it ends with us. Part of following Jesus is to intentionally help others learn from Him, and become more like Him.

Picture this scene:

A beautiful sunset which paints the sky with a wash of crimson and amber. You marvel at its beauty, and joy fills your heart at the wonder of God's Creation.

Wouldn't you want to share this experience with someone?

Sharing this experience makes it even more joyful because the beauty is shared. Its a double blessing!

The very experience of admiring beauty with someone else, causes us to walk away with a deeper appreciation for both the object of beauty, and the person with whom we shared it with.

This is a tiny glimpse into what makes Christian discipleship so wonderful.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 says: "so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well."

Discipleship is what happens whenever two or more people seek to know Jesus, love Jesus, reflect Jesus and become more like Jesus together.

Discipleship is an invitation to worship and enjoy our beautiful and praiseworthy Saviour with one another. When we marvel at the beauty of Jesus with another person, we walk away with a deeper love for Jesus, and that other person. Jesus is glorified and our joy is multiplied.

How can we grow as a discipler?

Sometimes, the most powerful discipleship happens not just by words from teaching or being taught.

An effective discipler teaches with both words and actions, and we observe them living their life in:

* The way they speak to their children gently,

* The way they treat a waiter with kindness,

* The way they respond with patience when someone cuts them up in traffic,

* The way in which they encourage others.

People will learn just as much about Jesus by our actions as by our words.

An effective discipler regularly spends time with Jesus.

In Acts 4 :13 says: "When they (Jewish leaders) saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

A great way to disciple others is to read the Bible and pray with them. When these disciplines are already rhythms of our own lives, they will spill out into our interactions with others, and our discipleship will be more fruitful.

An effective discipler excels at listening.

A common mistake we could make is think we need to major in speaking! In telling others what to do and how to live. Whilst part of discipling others is guiding them through our words, the first step in leading and influencing others is truly knowing them, which cannot happen, apart from listening. We earn the right to speak into their lives by first listening well.

The old adage is true! People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

Is there someone in your life with whom you can have an intentional conversation about Jesus?

Open up that conversation today! Often the most meaningful, spiritual conversations begin with a simple question such as:

- What has God been teaching you recently?

- How can I pray for you?

- Can I share a passage with you that has been encouraging me?

God wants to display Christ's beauty to the people in our lives. He will use us to accomplish this end, especially as we spend time with Jesus, reflect Him through our words and actions and listen well.

So let us rejoice today in the blessings of discipleship!