I think we have a discipleship crisis. Globally, perhaps.
Many, many people just are NOT being discipled. Or discipling others. Africa and much of the west is over-evangelized and under-discipled.
Let me just define what I mean when I use the word "discipleship." I think that someone is discipling you if:
- You have a meaningful and totally authentic realtionship with someone who focusses on your spirtual growth and followership of Jesus. If there are secrets, it is not real discipleship.
- You meet regulalry. Weekly, biweekly or monthly. (Nice when coffee or food is involved.) Meeting less often than once a month will not bear the fruit your life needs.
- You are challenged, encouraged, confronted and loved on.
- You are being coached toward obedience to Jesus and are being held accountable in that obedience.
- It could be a spiritual Father or Mother or even a mature peer. But the point is that they care for your soul and the main agenda is Jesus, not small talk. Spirttual more than natural.
"GO and make disciples of all nations, baptize them and teach them to obey all that I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20
"You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach those truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others." 2 Tim. 2:2
Now, let me put in very specific and personal terms:
- Yesterday I met with a 24 year old who has been a Christian for 10 years. He has never been discipled one on one. No one has ever asked about his soul, his heart! Ever. I see major potential in him. When I offered to enter into a discipling relationship, you would have thought I gave him a new car. Broke me.
- My sister is visiting with us now. She shared with me that in 33 years of being "in the church" no one has ever initiated a discipling relationship with her. (Share this with her permission.)
- Tricia is being actively discipled and actively discipling another for the first time in her life right now.
- One young man that I am currently discipling has held high leadership position in his church for the last 5 years. Not a single one of the multiple Pastors or Elders in the church have ever discipled him. God help us.
- When I was in the Pastorate, I did not disciple a single person with any long term intentionality in the terms described above. Yes, I am embarassed to admit this.
- I am not even sure whether I was being discipled myself...through Bible College...and as a Pastor.
Honestly, almost every single Christian I meet is not being actively discipled....or discipling another. And the efffects are detrimental. I think that true discipleship is the conduit to the gift the world is waiting for....JESUS!
Are you being discipled? Are you discipling others? Is your experience different? Am I just missing it and sounding an uneccesary alarm? I hope so. Please tell me your expereince. Comment.
Comments 4 Comments
Additionally (and this is truly sad), in most churches, I'm kind of doubtful that more than a handful of people are spiritually mature enough to disciple another person. Years ago, I would not have said this, but with things like Facebook, we are able to get a pretty accurate glimpse into the lives and values of our fellow church members. People at my church...without Facebook, I would have seen them as "spiritual giants" and that they "had it all together" (spiritually). That's an easy mistake to make when you only see a person on a Sunday or Wednesday. Facebook has really opened my eyes to what people place their time and value in. I'm not saying that these people *aren't* Christians or that they're involved in anything immoral or sinful...just that I would probably not want them to be my spiritual mentor.
I would have to say I'm close to being in the same boat as Selah. I didn't have my first spiritual mentor until I was around 25. At our previous church, we had an AMAZING Pastor & wife team. While they were certainly not perfect, they were undeniably chasing & thirsting after God. They were also very much into the spiritual state of their flock. They were open about their shortcomings and imperfections which made them extremely approachable with my own. They wouldn't blink an eye about getting up in someone's business if they thought the person might be falling away from the Lord and do everything in their power to help that person get back on track. There was a period several years back where Bill and I were going through something very difficult and painful and we felt comfortable enough to sit down with them and let them help us work through it (no, our marriage was not at risk). Honestly, there was NO one else I would have felt that way with concerning this particular issue (not even my parents!). Not having any secrets between you and your mentor is tough. However, when you know that person won't judge you and desires to come along beside you, pray for/with you and lift you up, it makes it so much easier. Unfortunately, (for me) that Pastor & wife felt the Lord was calling them elsewhere so they ended up moving away. So now I'm basically in the same boat as I was before. I can't say that I have a spiritual mentor (discipler) or (I'm ashamed to admit) that I'm currently mentoring anyone.
Let me ask this: for those that desire having someone to hold them accountable, pray with them and help them in their walk with the Lord...how do you go about finding that person? Obviously praying about it is the best idea, but is there anything else a person can/should do to find a mentor?
Additionally (and this is truly sad), in most churches, I'm kind of doubtful that more than a handful of people are spiritually mature enough to disciple another person. Years ago, I would not have said this, but with things like Facebook, we are able to get a pretty accurate glimpse into the lives and values of our fellow church members. People at my church...without Facebook, I would have seen them as "spiritual giants" and that they "had it all together" (spiritually). That's an easy mistake to make when you only see a person on a Sunday or Wednesday. Facebook has really opened my eyes to what people place their time and value in. I'm not saying that these people *aren't* Christians or that they're involved in anything immoral or sinful...just that I would probably not want them to be my spiritual mentor.
I would have to say I'm close to being in the same boat as Selah. I didn't have my first spiritual mentor until I was around 25. At our previous church, we had an AMAZING Pastor & wife team. While they were certainly not perfect, they were undeniably chasing & thirsting after God. They were also very much into the spiritual state of their flock. They were open about their shortcomings and imperfections which made them extremely approachable with my own. They wouldn't blink an eye about getting up in someone's business if they thought the person might be falling away from the Lord and do everything in their power to help that person get back on track. There was a period several years back where Bill and I were going through something very difficult and painful and we felt comfortable enough to sit down with them and let them help us work through it (no, our marriage was not at risk). Honestly, there was NO one else I would have felt that way with concerning this particular issue (not even my parents!). Not having any secrets between you and your mentor is tough. However, when you know that person won't judge you and desires to come along beside you, pray for/with you and lift you up, it makes it so much easier. Unfortunately, (for me) that Pastor & wife felt the Lord was calling them elsewhere so they ended up moving away. So now I'm basically in the same boat as I was before. I can't say that I have a spiritual mentor (discipler) or (I'm ashamed to admit) that I'm currently mentoring anyone.
Let me ask this: for those that desire having someone to hold them accountable, pray with them and help them in their walk with the Lord...how do you go about finding that person? Obviously praying about it is the best idea, but is there anything else a person can/should do to find a mentor?