Go & Make Disciples… But How?
If you have grown up in church, you have probably heard the gospel call/command from Jesus that goes as follows:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-19) (emphasis mine)
But, then you may have wondered… how? I think the majority of us over-complicate this a ton, so let’s take a closer look.
AS You Go
Well, first of all, that little word “Go” that starts off this command is in a tense signifying an “AS you go” feeling, which means, wherever God has you… follow this command. In other words, He is not saying, “pack your bags & move to a remote village somewhere in order to be obedient to me,” but rather more of a, “wherever I send you, wherever you are… AS you go… do this.”
Right where God has you is your mission field. Right where He has you, you are strategically placed to be a light in that place… a light able & willing to point to HOPE in Him (through His power, His wisdom, & His help). (Colossians 1:28-29)
We’re Not Perfect… So How Can We Possibly Disciple Someone Else?
Then, you might consider, okay, still… HOW am I supposed to disciple someone else?
If you have even a smidge of self-awareness, you most likely recognize that you have flaws & weaknesses. You may even recognize, as in my case, that you are indeed NOT a theology major nor a pastor. Isn’t discipleship reserved for people in those categories? Nope.
God calls us to this task all the same, “ready” or not. And I think, for maybe a lot of us, the inaction & possible anxiety on this topic is more because it was not modeled to us growing up, so we don’t know what it means to disciple someone else. It’s definitely & unfortunately a weak spot in a lot of western churches that I have witnessed.
I want to help remove the barriers between the desire to follow this command & a complete lack of knowledge as to the HOW.
A How-To Guide on Discipleship
The biggest thing that God has taught me about discipleship in my 20 years or so of leading Bible studies, sessions as a camp counselor, Sunday school classes, accountability, prayer group in college, & my blog, is that the heart of discipleship is honestly as simple as just coming alongside another person, consistently pointing them back to prayer & God’s Word through all of life’s circumstances.
You don’t have to be a theology major or a pastor or in any sort of church leadership position to do that. You literally just have to consciously & consistently come alongside someone, pointing them always back to Christ in all things.
That is literally it. Go to the Bible. Go to God in prayer. Teach them & remind them to do all for the glory of God & all through the power of God & all by the wisdom of God. For Him, by Him, through Him. That’s really it.
(*If you are interested in meeting with another lady for coffee/tea, to hold each other accountable & consistently point each other to God in all things in life, but don’t know exactly where to start, I have designed an in-depth guide that includes both instructions to get you started, as well as question prompts to discuss, to make getting started less complicated &/or intimidating. Go check it out, along with other free printable downloads made available to you on my Resources/Recommendations tab @ michellehydeonline.com/abiding-in-Him/ *)
Discipleship Also Keeps ME Accountable
Did you know that one of the major reasons that I LOVE being a part of discipleship is because it also keeps ME accountable?
I see how easily my heart wants to stray. I can imagine that I am not the only one.
I NEED people in my life saying, “let’s pray about this right now.”
I NEED people in my life asking, “so, what has God been teaching you lately?”
I NEED my compass reset on the regular!
Oh, How Often I Need Reminding!
Do you realize how often we dishonor & disrespect & displease God on the DAILY? Some days, it is every MINUTE for me because God hears our THOUGHTS & knows even when we have our bad attitudes. We never fool Him & we can’t hide anything from Him.
Even our anxiety shows we’re trusting what we see more than we trust Him.
Even our stress shows we’re trusting what we think we can handle more than we trust Him.
Even our complaining shows we’re looking around more than we’re bowing down to Him.
A roll of the eyes. A BLEH attitude. Fear, doubt, worry, unwillingness, the grumpies…. God knows. God sees.
I talk a lot about “quick repentance” because some days it’s like a constant roll of me thinking something like the above, realizing right after that my heart is looking around versus bowing down & looking up, apologizing to God, & asking Him to help me do better. And some days I feel like a broken record in that cycle! Anyone else?
(Check out my blog post on “quick repentance” here: “The Great Power of Daily Repentance.”)
Invest in Each Other… Point Each Other to Christ through It ALL… THAT Is Discipleship
So, don’t get intimidated. Don’t feel overwhelmed. Don’t let Satan convince you that you are too ill-equipped. Pray over the who, get together consistently, & do life alongside her, ever pointing her to hope & answers & help in our LORD Jesus. THAT is discipleship at its heart, dear friend.
When I talked a few weeks ago about needing each other, in my blog post: “We Need Each Other–the Desperate Need for Discipleship,” I meant it. It’s a desperate need for discipleship. An epidemic of lacking in this area even.
But it doesn’t have to be. Let us change that.
Shine HOPE by pouring into the lives of other women, consistently ever-pointing to God as their help, strength, wisdom, love, & HOPE–to give Him the glory in all that they do, big or small.
Coming Next Week
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As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)
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Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
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#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.
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Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!
