The Essence of Discipleship
And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2 NKJV)
If you knew you only had a short time to live, what advice or exhortation would you give to your loved ones? Have you ever thought about that? Have you ever heard or read someone’s last words? I personally have not been beside someone who gave me instructions with their dying breath, but I do know that if I knew I only had a few sentences of breath left in me, I would make sure they counted. Did you know that Paul’s second letter to his disciple/protege Timothy was most likely Paul’s last recorded written words? My study bible says the letter was written by Paul from prison as he awaited execution in Rome. Paul’s purpose for writing the letter was to instruct and encourage Timothy in his work as a minister.
Among exhortations to be loyal to the faith, persevere through tough times, and to preach the word, I think that most of what Paul shared with Timothy in his letter can be summed up in 2 Timothy 2:2. Paul had taught Timothy the in’s and out’s of being a pastor, preacher & teacher, and was making sure Timothy would pass on that instruction to others so that the newly born faith now known as Christianity could continue to grow and prosper. Paul was in effect passing the baton of discipleship to young Timothy. Timothy was to go forth and reproduce himself in another capable believer so that person could in turn do the same. This is the essence of discipleship – when one mature believer comes alongside a new or less mature believer to teach them by words and by actions what it is like to be a true follower of Jesus. Without discipleship, our faith will eventually die out.
What does it take to be a discipler? First, we must be taught. Secondly, we must apply what we learn so that we can become someone worthy of following. We must continually be in a place where we are learning more about God and how to be like Christ. Thirdly, we must be willing to invest our lives into someone else to pass along what we have learned and applied. The essence of discipleship given in 2 Timothy 2:2 expands on the “how”of the Great Commission given by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 when He says:
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.
Jesus is essentially saying the same thing as Paul, isn’t He? Are you taking someone alongside you in your life and showing them what it takes to be a Christian? Are you living the life yourself by being in the Word of God each day and applying it to your life? I will be the first to say that I am no Paul, but I will also say that my goal in life is to always be discipling someone, teaching them what I’ve learned so that will hopefully one day do the same for someone else. Matter of fact, I just met with someone before I started writing this blog post today. Aside from pleasing God by obeying His command to impart my faith to others, I am always extremely blessed when I learn of how God is starting to work in someone’s life or when someone catches my passion and excitement for what God’s Word has in store for each of us. Oh, how I wish I had more time to meet with more people! I am blessed by discipling others as well as convicted and encouraged by their newly awakened faith.
So, Christian, who are you discipling? If you aren’t what are you waiting for? What is holding you back? It is imperative that those of us who walk in faith pass it on. It is our responsibility after all. If we are too busy to do it, who will?
This week’s challenge:
1) If you aren’t actively reproducing yourself in others, ask God to lead someone to you for discipleship.
2) If you don’t know what to pass on to someone else, pray to God asking for someone to disciple you.
3) If you don’t see the importance of Paul’s and Jesus’ command to pass along the baton of your faith, pray for understanding and for God to reveal to you what He would have you to see.
Note: Equipping people with God’s Word is my passion. If anyone out there wants to discuss this further or has any questions, I would love to discuss this with you.
Great post, be blessed.
I remember praying on several occasions here that the Lord would bring me a Linda( she was my wonderful mentor at our last duty station who was one of the elder ladies at the church). I have found instead the Lord has lead me to be a mentor to the younger gals, which I am not much older than. lol, but I still wish and pray for a Linda for me too.
Thank you for this post and the challenge you presented at the end.