The second of three posts on "Go and make disciples."
Until you have to actually do it.
Until you have to actually do it.
Key Scripture Passage
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 ESV
Reflection
"Go
make disciples"! That seems
easy enough, right? But, not really
when you get down to actually doing it?
But
I
want to encourage you to do it even though you might not even know
where to start or
what to do.
I want to encourage you
to get involved with making disciples,
not simply because Jesus told us to (although
that should be reason enough) but because it
is
part
of experiencing and extending the
Kingdom of Heaven.
I
think the
early Christians
had a pretty good idea of how to do this discipleship thing. The
New
Testament gives
us
some insight
into how they did it
but
it was an
integral part of who they were as a community so they left out a lot
of details. Over
time the church has lost many of the discipleship skills and
practices.
But we don't have to leave it this way. God wants us to experience
Him
and His
kingdom so the world will know that
He
is God. Sure we'll make some mistakes trying to learn to disciple,
but
with humble, prayerful hearts the Spirit will show us the way.
So,
how do
we
get started? Let me suggest something that is working for me - put
yourself in God's path. Go out and get involved in something - join a
club, volunteer to tutor kids or adults, offer to help someone with a
home remodel, or change their oil, or feed the cows or balance a
budget. It
doesn't really matter what it is, just get involved somewhere with some
people. When
you're
there, get to know the people, listen to their stories, take an
interest in their lives.
How's
all this going
to help you to 'go make disciples'?
From
my experience, it seems to be part of the process God is using to
help me become a discipler. Getting me out of my comfort zone,
opening my eyes to see everyone as His precious creation, growing my
compassion, developing my patience and causing me to trust Him more.
It takes time, but I can see how He is changing me and giving me
opportunities to have meaningful involvement in people's lives.
It
will be scary (trust me) doing things you aren't comfortable doing,
talking to people you don't know well and learning things that don't
come easily. It will be a sacrifice bearing with difficult people,
giving up your precious time and comfort. But isn't experiencing the
Kingdom worth it? I can guarantee you won't experience and extend the Kingdom sitting in the comfort and safety of your home. I know I
wasn't. Let's jump into this adventure together.
Questions to Consider
What are you willing to do to experience the Kingdom of Heaven? What are you willing to give up to experience the Kingdom of Heaven?
Action Steps for the Week
Ask God to show you somewhere you can get involved and ask Him to help you stick with it when things start getting difficult or beyond that with which you are familiar.
Great Action Step: "just get involved", simple enough, as a start. 'Ask' Him to help you stay focused, 'Seek' and take interest in others lives, 'Knock' and the door of friendship then discipleship, will be opened to you.
ReplyDeleteI always think of getting involved, to get something out of it. Or weigh the pros and cons, is it worth my time etc. But how much more fruit-bearing in the Kingdom, it will be if I go with an attitude of giving, instead of receiving.