Born Again?

These words were first mentioned to a guy named Nicodemus—or as I like to call him, Nic or Demus 😎. Don’t be fooled though, he wasn’t into street demos. He was more of a deep thinker who asked the tough questions. We meet him in the Gospel of John when he sneaks off to have a private chat with Jesus at night.  


Nicodemus had a problem: his heart was restless. He taught people, but nothing happened. Jesus, on the other hand, taught, and boom—things happened! Signs, wonders, transformations. Nic had to know, “What’s this guy’s secret? He must be from God!” 


Jesus’ answer? 

"Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" (John 3:3).  


Now, this seems like an answer that's avoiding the question, but Jesus, knowing Nic’s heart, went straight to the real issue: Nicodemus wanted to see the power of God’s kingdom. Jesus told him plainly, “To see it and live it, you’ve got to belong to it. You must be born again!”


Nicodemus, understandably, was shook. He asked, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb again?” 🙄


Good question, Nic! It’s a necessary one.  

1. Nic recognizes that birth is a process.  

2. He knows incubation is key.  

3. And he understands incubation only happens if a seed is planted.  


Now, let’s parallel this with the spiritual birthing process:  

- A: A man plants a seed into a woman; a believer plants the Word of God into an unbeliever.  

- B: The woman incubates the seed; the unbeliever incubates the Word over time.  

- C: The woman births a bouncing baby (or so she hopes); the unbeliever is “born again” as a believer.  

- D: The baby needs nurturing; the new believer needs discipleship.  

- E: The child’s growth depends on care; the believer’s growth depends on intentional nurturing.  


Just as in physical birth, spiritual birthing is a process, and it can be unpredictable. Our role as disciple-makers is like that of a mother, father, and farmer combined:  

- As a mother, feed well (on the Word) to have nutrients to give.  

- As a farmer, water the seed (stay in touch and keep teaching).  

- As a father, be patient (God is in charge of the growth).  



Discipleship isn’t a quick fix; it’s a long journey of loving, teaching, and walking alongside others. Take care of yourself so you can take care of others, and trust the Lord to handle what you cannot.  


May God grant you grace and patience as you continue this beautiful, messy, and fulfilling work of becoming a disciple and making disciples. Amen!

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