The Depths of Discipleship (Part 2)
“How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Romans 10:14 (NIV)
A key component of mentoring is actively noticing the good in others—whether they are believers or not—and building them up, showing them how to maximize their God-given skills and passions, praying for them and boldly sharing the Gospel through our own stories. We must actively do this wherever we go—especially in our careers, where we spend such a large portion of our lives.
I did this throughout my career. That’s why I would go into the field throughout my work week, spending time with the people who worked for me, ranging from frontline employees to top leadership. I kept a legal pad with me and jotted down people’s names who I saw advancement potential and then got with their supervisors to develop a plan for their advancement. I then followed back up with them and their supervisor when I returned for a later visit. I was modeling the behavior I wanted to see at all levels of leadership in the organization.
The Breakdown – How I Evangelized in the Process of Discipleship
Through spending so much time with each of our employees in their day-to-day operations, I made it my personal goal to get to know these individuals beyond the superficial level. I wanted to learn about their families, personal goals, interests and motivating drivers. My objective was to grow in knowing their hearts.
This way, when an employee arrived at work on any given day with a different disposition than normal, I was able to recognize it and ask them, “Hey [Nancy], I noticed you seem a little down. Do you want to talk about it? Or is there something I can pray with you about?”
Usually, this question would surprise them. I’d assure them by explaining, “Look, I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable at all. I don’t have to pray for you right here. I’m happy to go and pray for you in my office.”
Inevitably, they’d respond with, “No, no—you can pray for me here. Thank you. I’d actually really appreciate that.” In all the times I did this—offering prayer in this way after getting to know them, I was never once refused.
In my experiences after these divine encounters—whether it be a week, two weeks or a month later—that employee would tell me something along the lines of this: “Larry, there's something different about you. There’s this peace about you. We know about your situation with your daughter, and even when things are chaotic around here, you just seem to have this peace. Where does that come from?”
And so, I’d tell them my story.
The Power of the Gospel and Wisdom within Our Testimonies
“Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth. You will be His witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.” Acts 22:14-15 (NIV)
We are commanded to share our stories. God has us in each of our exact places and relationships for exact reasons. He wants to use us in our jobs, in our families, in our local gyms and coffee shops—sharing our testimonies and sharing the Gospel.
I have people tell me all the time, “Yeah, Larry, I see what you're saying, but I just live my life by my actions. People will see that.”
While it’s great to set a good example, I don’t know of anyone who became a believer without someone telling them about how to become a believer—explaining to them what to do and how to do it. At some point, we must be bold enough in the Spirit to share the Good News. Sure, it’s uncomfortable at first, but here’s the thing: it’s not about us. When we’re brave enough to step into our calling to be used as God’s instrument and simply say, “God I’m willing to be made willing,” the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say.
Simply being available to others is key. When the Lord taps on our hearts to speak up, we must be willing to do so. We won’t always have all the answers, and that’s fine. When I don’t know the answer, I say, “I don’t know the answer, but I will find the answer for you and get back to you. Here’s what I do know: before I put my faith in Jesus I was not at peace and knew I would never be good enough to make it to heaven. Now that I have put my faith in Jesus, I am at peace even in my difficult circumstances. I was lost before. Now I’m fulfilled and redeemed by my Lord and Savior Jesus through His sacrifice on the cross. It wasn’t anything that I did to earn my salvation, it is what Jesus did for me. I accepted the free gift that He offered me to forgive my sins and give me the promise of eternity in heaven with Him.”
Tell your story, and share the Gospel of Christ. There is so much power in the simple Gospel. Sharing your testimony will always be a reflection of what Jesus has done for you, and a bridge into sharing the Gospel. Through our redemption, we are called to bring others into freedom too.
“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—
those He redeemed from the hand of the foe.” Psalm 107:2 (NIV)
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Romans 1:16 (NIV)
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