Making disciples - without exception, this is the work to which Jesus called every single one of His followers. Go therefore and make disciples…
In America, we love to make things as efficient and productive as possible, and as followers of Jesus, we desire to be obedient to the commands of Christ. So we can be tempted to approach our Christian calling (make disciples) through Western means (pragmatic, efficient, productive). We think if only we can create the right curriculum, and make sure everyone has a mentor and is investing in another, all we need is twelve weeks for a fully formed disciple to emerge! But humans are not machines, or math equations. We can’t simply plug in the right information and expect a neat, tidy, and timely response. Discipleship is messy work.
Discipleship is the work of a lifetime.
Another subtle way our discipleship looks like less Christ and more self-serving is when we make disciples for the purpose of meeting our own needs rather than to fulfill the Great Commission. When we make disciples for the purpose of filling holes in our team, or leadership, rather than encourage, equip, and enable people to be more closely conformed to the image of Christ we are not actually investing in people we are consuming them.
There is a difference between cultivating the people God has placed under our care and exploiting their gifts for selfish gain.
I am learning that real discipleship has no agenda other than to see Christ be more fully formed in an individual. As I can surrender my agenda, and humbly confess my needs and desires to Christ, I am freed to love and give myself away without ulterior motive. I am observing that this keeps my heart tender, my expectations lowered, and my hands open.
Our teams and churches have needs, yes.
We are called to make disciples, yes.
What would it look like if we were obedient to Christ without reservation or agenda? What if we invest our time, energy, blood, sweat, tears, and prayers into someone who takes that investment and serves another church, or another area of ministry, or walks away completely?
No agenda-free investment into people is ever wasted.
Thanks be to God.