The Depths of Discipleship (Part 1): A Simultaneous Learning and Teaching Process
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
The Great Commission doesn’t tell us to go out and ‘make believers’, but to go out and ‘make disciples’. The entire premise of discipling is teaching those being discipled to also become disciple-makers, creating ever-increasing waves within Kingdom expansion.
Discipleship is a subcategory of mentorship.
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22 (NIV)
I have been blessed with profound mentors throughout my life. They have cared for me, guided me, and blessed me with their wisdom and experience. From them, I have learned servant leadership, patience, humility and grace, which I hope I’ve passed on to others whom I’ve personally mentored.
The benefit of having a good mentor is having a safe place to confide in someone else with fresh ideas before taking any potentially half-baked ideas to organizational leadership, throwing them into important relationships, or implementing them into ministry.
The best mentors will create a safe, intimate review space-they are entirely focused on the success and well-being of the person they are mentoring. The best mentors I have had didn’t give me the answers, they asked great questions that helped me see things from a different perspective that I had not previously considered, and ultimately helped me see the best course of action to pursue.
“The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” Proverbs 18:15 (NKJV)
Are you too prideful to seek out mentors?
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Proverbs 11:2 (NIV)
Are you humble enough to be discipled? While you might feel like you have it all together, I can assure you that you don’t. Seeking out mentors takes a lot of humility and bravery because you’re admitting that you need Godly wisdom from someone else who knows more or who has more experience than you do. You must be coachable, at be willing to learn from others. In order to disciple others well, we must first be discipled.
We need mentors to help guide us in all aspects of our lives—at least for those areas in which we wish to grow. (Hint: this should be in every aspect.) We need mentors to disciple us in our careers, in our marriages, within friendships, in parenthood—in all areas of spiritual growth.
While seeking mentorship can feel daunting, it is absolutely integral. In our search, we can always seek the Lord, asking Him to gift us with the right mentors and grant us wisdom in our search. This has helped me time and time again in seeking out mentors.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 (NIV)
Discipleship is meant to be a divine ripple-effect.
“And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2 (ESV)
If the whole point of discipleship is to go out and help other believers mature to a point that they can then make more disciples, we must actively do just that. It is of upmost importance that we share with other believers the wisdom imparted to us from our own mentors and from our personal testimonies.
Discipleship involves taking time out of our busy schedules to mentor both new and seasoned believers who want to become disciple-makers themselves. It involves pouring into them, investing time, encouraging them, offering gentle correction in love, and calling them to do the same for others—thus, creating an ever-expanding ripple effect that will spread Godly wisdom worldwide.
I personally disciple about 4 men each year, meeting with them individually once a week for about a year until they are ready to graduate and go on to do the same with others. I use Dr. John Tolson’s book, The Four Priorities as our curriculum, progressing through about one chapter each week, and covering other things along the way as they come up in the discussion. It is not about trying to get through the book, the book is just a tool to generate discussion. There are many tools available on his website to help you: www.thetolsongroup.com. Reach out to me if I can help you get started. You will find much joy in discipling others!
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