Discipleship is a journey. It isn’t a sprint. It isn’t a label. It is a trek…an expedition with Jesus in the lead.
Where he goes, we follow.
Jesus doesn’t always go where we want him to go. Remember him resolutely setting his face toward Jerusalem where he would suffer and die? Remember him prophesying his own death after Peter’s confession…and Peter’s response then Jesus’ rebuke?
No. Jesus doesn’t always go where we want him to go.
He goes where He must go and He knows we must go. He leads. We follow.
This journey is taken one step at a time.
This is why there is no 10 step plan or 20 step plan to learning to become a disciple. Is there a 4 million step plan? That would be more like it. It is one step at a time, one day at a time, one decision at a time over and over and over again until we end up at a place we didn’t know we could arrive at.
Jesus will take you there. Follow in his steps. Trust his lead. Just keep taking that next step and watch where he takes you!
What is that one step Jesus wants you to take? I would love to hear your answer in the comments. Maybe your answer will encourage someone else.
One Response
Matt,
I think this is more important of a concept than what we usually give to it. In fact much of our effort is given to leadership training within the church, not followership training.
We want leaders, but not followers.
We need to actively train people to be followers of Jesus.
We need to train people to not give lessons, but to read the scriptures, privately and openly.
We need to train servitude.
The irony is that the leaders in the scriptures, elders and deacons, were to be servants of God of the people and for the people.
Yes, they told people what to do, spiritually at least, but only at the behest of the one they followed…Jesus.
But more than that they were to be readers of scripture and leaders of praying.
And this means following after God.
Yes…we need more followers.
Jesus needs more disciples practicing discipleship.
Amen.