Invest your life in somebody.
The Christian life is a journey, a journey that isn't much different than the first disciples, some days we are faithful and strong, other days we lose sight of our mission and we can look a little too much like the world than we should, some days we are full of questions and doubts.
So what is a disciple? According to the online dictionary a disciple is: One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another. An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy. To make a disciple means to reproduce a follower of Jesus Christ who is committed to living a transformed life, one who obeys the Word of God, and makes the mission of disciple making his or her top priority.
Jesus gave us the command now the question is how to we make a disciple?
The first step in the discipleship process focuses on conversion. You can't become a disciple if you're not a follower of Christ.
The second step in the discipleship process spans a life time of spiritual growth. Jesus twelve disciples went from weak and feeble in their faith to men that were spiritually mature, they didn't become disciples overnight, they had three years of Jesus pouring his life into them.
The third step in the process involves becoming a disciple maker. Jesus teachings and his deeds built these guys into true disciples that could go out and make more disciples. Their weak little faith matured into the bold, dangerous faith that would cause them to sacrifice their own lives for the truth that they believed.
Other than Christ example of creating disciples, Paul's relationship with Timothy is one of the clearest examples of how to make a disciple. Paul said "Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you" (1 Tim 1:18) Paul went on to teach Timothy how to live as a Christ follower. Later Paul told Timothy to take hold of the teaching that he received from Paul and study it, make sure that reliable people can confirm those teachings and then pass on the truths that he has learned to others so that they can in turn pass it on to others.
This multiplication strategy is how the good news has spread for thousands of years. If this multiplication process were to go unbroken then there would be no problem in reaching the world with the good news.
The mission focuses on making disciples. The strategy involves investing in others who in turn make more disciples.
Every Christ follower should grow spiritually and become mature. As we grow more mature we need to get our own Timothy that we can disciple as we continue our own growth. I need to stay focused on investing my life in others so that I can be a part of this multiplication process of making more disciples.
You gave us a mission Lord that is very doable if we would all keep our focus on the mission, help me to grow as your disciple and then in turn invest my life into others so that I will be obedient to your command to "Go and make disciples."
