Discipleship is a process of
a disciple of Christ maturing and growing becoming more like Christ. This
process happens in our intimate relationship with the Lord and how He reveals
Himself to us in all our circumstances. Reading the word of God daily, meditating,
listening and learning to apply the Words of God to our life. Another very
important way this process happens is through our relationships with others. The
word process means a series of changes over a period of time that has an end. It
starts with Jesus and ends with Jesus. It can mean to move forward, change, or
preserve. Discipleship is a beautiful renewing process that takes place inside
a believer that brings glory to God. God’s timing is perfect and He has a
reason for this process in our lives. God loves us and cares more about what is
on the inside and our hearts and the health of His church then what is on the
outside. This process in our lives can be very hard at times so we need to
trust God and care for each other.
God has been speaking to me
for a long time in different ways and scriptures but I want to share a
experience in my life that He was using in my life that relates. A believer
moves forward from the past and is an over comer in Christ but also the
experiences we go through can be used. I had a painting business from 1986 to
2008 and now that I have had time, God has allowed me to have a very different
view that has been a blessing for me that I didn’t see when in the process. I
have three thoughts I want to mention.
1) During our business it was
always a process that never ended and was very challenging and messy at times.
I was always trying to get it right or to perfection with no mess or problems.
I strived to do the best at this but I learned over time that I had to learn to
accept and grow myself in this process. It was unrealistic for me to try to fix
things I couldn’t control. It was a long maturity process in how I learned to
deal with people in this process. Relationships
are very important. A hundred employees on different jobs scattered all over
Arizona, dealing with different suppliers, and working for many different
companies with multiple people can be a very messy process at times. People
make many mistakes, but the relationships are way more important.
2) As companies would hire us
to paint these big building for sometimes X amounts of money. But more than
not, they didn’t want to take care of the more important repairs on the
buildings. They were more concerned about a quick fix cosmetically than the
health and structure of the building. Most of the time it was to turn the
building for a profit with wrong motives. We know God is more about right
motives, the inside heart and health of a believer. Sometimes we spend more
time planning and working on how things appear, which leaves less time to work
on the important part to God the inside of a person. I think that’s where the
process of discipleship comes in.
3) After the first few years
of growing pains and going through many changes and many different employees in
the business I got to where I could do bigger Jobs. When I started doing these
larger jobs over a period of time, I was fortunate to finally have five guys
that I chose to put in more of a supervisors or manager role to help run
things. They had no experience with overseeing before and I went through many
things with these guys over a period of ten years. There were great times and
very trying times in our relationships. I chose to invest more into these guys
and be loyal to them than to rent an office space for the company, buy trucks,
hire estimators and worry about the size of the business. I think this way was
different than the other companies I competed against and how they ran their
people and work. I know at times this choice cost me in many ways but it also
was very rewarding and it was a healthier way for the business. Because they were put in these situations, places
and were involved in the mess and process of the jobs and learning how to deal
with relationships everyday, all five have went on to start there own
businesses. This is now a blessing to me after going through all that process. I
think in discipleship it is very important to invest into others and care about
the heart and inside of others for a more healthy church. At times it may
appear to be a slower process but in the long run it would be more healthy and
pleasing to God.
In God’s word there are many
scriptures that are about discipleship and the process. Hebrews 4:12 really
explains what the word of God does on the inside of a person over time. “For the Word that God speaks is alive and
full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is
sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the
immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our
nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the
heart.” The book of Ephesians really
speaks to me about this process of discipleship.” From Chapter 4 through 5
speaks of the gifts Christ has given the church to equip the body of Christ to
help each person continue to grow until we are all in complete maturity, love
and unity in Christ. Speaking truth and love to each other and the process of
putting off the old nature and putting on the new nature to be like Christ. To
walk in the light like Christ and exposing what’s on the inside. 2 Timothy 2:2
speaks how important it is to be faithful in teaching and investing in each
other.
I
also like John 13:1-17 where Jesus on the night before His death on the cross showed
by example when he served and washed the disciples feet. He showed them they
were going to have to humble, deny themselves, serve, and help each other in
love and unity. Verse 15 & 17 says “I have given you an
example to follow. Do as I have done to you. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”
He knew they were going to be the ones to show this example from Him to the
church in days a head. This is not just about calling a meeting and washing another
believers feet it is walking beside someone in love and caring for them in time
of need. When God calls you not when it is just convenient for us or when we
plan it. This is just as much about
discipleship as reading and studying together.
God
brought to my attention a few months ago another scripture in this area. Mark
15:21 “A certain man from
Cyrene, Simon,
the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the
country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” I like
the verse in Mark because it speaks of Simon’s sons. I have read some
commentaries on this verse and it varies. Simon was forced to carry the cross
of Jesus, they don’t know if it was the whole cross or he carried the cross
section. But I think as I have been reading this for a while now that I don’t
know where Simon was with Jesus relationship wise in his own life and why he
was there that day. Maybe just passing by or to celebrate the Passover. But what a honor and blessing to be chosen to
carry the cross with Jesus who is God in the flesh. I think when he carried the
cross regardless where he was I think at some point during the process he
looked into Jesus eyes and Identified with the suffering of Jesus carrying His
cross and realized that Jesus was the son of God his savior and Lord. Because
of this experience this changed Simon’s life and probably people around him who
knew him like his two sons who were there with him.
We are called to each deny
ourselves and carry our own cross and we all have a journey that the Lord has
given us. I believe in this process or journey we are called to help each other
and I believe that when we encourage,
teach, and love on others we sometimes probably don’t realize how God can use
seeds we sow. The impact it can have on
each other and others that are around. We may not always understand why this
process is sometimes hard with suffering but I believe this is a very important
part of the process of discipleship that can be very fruitful and glorifying to
God.
Psalm 126:5-6, “They that sow in tears shall reap
in joy. He
that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again
with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Galatians 6:1-3, “Brothers, if
anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are
spiritual should restore him in a spirit of
gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks
he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”
Hebrews 12:12-15, “Therefore, lift your drooping hands
and strengthen your weak knees, and make
straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but
rather be healed. Strive for peace with
everyone, and for the holiness without
which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace
of God; that no “root
of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.”
Proverbs 17:17, “A
friend loves at all times, and a
brother is born for adversity.”
