Discipleship thoughts

One of the trickiest challenges we face in discipleship is resisting the urge to solve every problem a disciple brings to us. It’s a natural reflex, right? But sometimes, we unknowingly step over the line between DISCIPLESHIP AND MENTORSHIP. Now, mentorship is great—you get to give directions, instructions, and offer practical solutions. But discipleship? That’s a different ball game. Here, those solutions need to come from one place—straight from God Himself, through His Spirit.


Here’s why: Let’s say one of your disciples confesses they’re struggling with smoking weed, battling with masturbation, or maybe getting intoxicated. Then comes the million-dollar question: "What must I do to be free of this?" Now, it’s so tempting to jump in with well-meaning advice like, “Find an AA group,” or “Get a prayer partner,” or even “Just cut off the things that lead you into temptation.” All good advice, I agree. But here’s the flip of it: you might be unknowingly steering them to put their trust in their own strength—or as Jeremiah 17:5 would put it, in "the arm of flesh." And we know how that ends: NOT WELL.😂


The reality is this: the person with the problem can’t be their own solution. If they could, well...we wouldn’t be having this conversation! They need something—or rather, SOMEONE —greater than themselves. In fact, they need the very power of God to step in. And let’s be honest, the Bible doesn’t exactly give us a straight-up verse on weed, alcohol or masturbation. But the principles of holiness and freedom in Christ are there—loud and clear.


So, what do we do when a disciple hits us with these tough questions? Here’s the “easy” and “hard” part—send them back to God. You want them to hear from Him, not just from you. This is a golden opportunity to not only help them break free from whatever sin has entangled them, but also to point them to true fellowship with God. And, yeah, sometimes that’s the longer, unused route. You’re basically telling a prodigal son (or daughter) to go back home, face the music, and reconcile with the Father. It’s not always easy. In fact, they might procrastinate again and again. But when they finally take that step? Oh man, it’s glorious.

So, what about you? How have you handled these “prodigal moments” when your disciples come knocking with tough questions?



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