Accidental discipleship... E

I am on a platform where we're sharing our stories of discipleship and I found them to be very encouraging. I have edited the stories to keep identities private but maintained the scope of the message. Here's story one, from a gentleman who's intentional on discipling a small group he's a part of...


The year has swiftly passed me by. If anything, I’ve had to play catch-up on most things. I would characterize my story as discipleship by accident, or perhaps through friendship. Some friends joined our group late last year. It wasn’t clear where they stood in their personal relationships with God at the time. My spouse and I were simply thankful for the growing numbers in our group, until the questions started coming in. At first, it was the “why” questions, which were sometimes easy to answer and explain. The “how” questions came through observation.


You’d think it was just about spending time together and making memories, but then the “why” questions started taking on a deeper tone. Comments and remarks made by our friends on several occasions revealed to us that we were being closely watched. It became apparent that we needed to be intentional in how we guided them in their spiritual journey. On the bright side, one of them recently got baptized, and the couple has taken steps to live out their lives under God’s lordship. On the flip side, I’ve had to hold myself back from constantly assuming a position of authority in the discipler-disciplee dynamic, to avoid missing out on the true essence of life-on-life discipleship. 


I’ve learned to rely on God for the unanswered questions, the courage to correct when necessary, and the patience to guide.


For the others I’m journeying with, well...I’m still catching up. It’s been a challenge maintaining relationships due to time constraints, but it all comes down to being intentional.


Key lessons so far:

📍 You are being watched.

📍 Rely on God.

📍 Discipleship happens in doing life together, as God molds both of you in His image and likeness.




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