Proverbs 22:6
When I was growing up discipleship was implied. It was expected that if you showed up to church you would be discipled. We went to Sunday School and Worship, Wednesday night programming was expected, our parents read the bible at the table almost every night we were home together, nothing special, but intentional reading of the bible.
My Sunday school teachers found answers to my questions, were patient with me and sought to teach me about God. They encouraged me to make my faith my own and study on my own. My faith development was not anything special, but it was intentional.
As I grew older, I was introduced to systematic theology. I was challenged to study scripture and understand the deeper thoughts of faith. I was given not only study bibles, but theological texts and challenged to delve deeper into my study. As I went off to college, I was challenged all the more to develop a biblical world view and learn how scripture applied to life and living. It was not special, it was intentional.
Proverbs 22:6 reminds us to, “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” When we consider that new believers come to Christ as little children in faith, we have an intentional, simple responsibility. To train up new believers in following Jesus, helping them mature in faith.
Throughout our lives we have been given heroes of the faith that have done the simple task of sharing with us what they know of following in Jesus’ footprints. They are disciples who are covered with the dust of Jesus’ steps and desire for others to know God’s goodness. These heroes took on the intentional work of sharing what God has done for them.
2 Timothy 2:2 tells us of this simple intentional plan, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” The lessons we have been taught, have been entrusted to us to share with others as well. The call of a disciple is to be involved in God’s eternal plan, to win others to Christ, train them in following Jesus and praising God for the work He continues to do.
Discipleship is an intentional, but simple process. Disciples worship, study, fellowship, serve, pray, share, love God and other people by helping them become disciples as well. As we grow in faith as disciples we are able to apply Godly principles into our lives and see real change happen as the trials of this life force us to turn more intentionally to Jesus. Disciples spend their time drawing intentionally closer to God and share what He is teaching them with others as a form of fellowship, call for prayer, or act of worship.
Take a few moments, think about who has built you up in your faith, think about those heroes and thank God for them, if they are still around thank them as well. Think about who you can encourage in their faith, who can you build into and support as they learn to be a disciple of Jesus? Point out to them how you see God at work in your life and ask how God is moving their life, pray for them and encourage them with scripture.