For the past nine weeks, we have been looking at Spiritual Disciplines. These articles have basically been an overview of Richard Foster’s The Celebration of Discipline. I want to take a break this month and share with you a few things that I have learned from practicing these disciplines and discipleship in my own life.
The word disciple means “a learner”. As used by Jesus and Paul, the word disciple means “a learner or pupil who accepts the teachings of Christ, not only in belief but also in lifestyle. It involves a deliberate choice, a definite denial and a determined obedience.” It is not without significance that the word disciple occurs in the New Testament 269 times, Christian only 3 times, and believers only 2 times. This surely indicates that the task of the church is not so much to make “Christians” or “believers” but “disciples”. A disciple must, of course, be a believer, but according to Christ’s conditions of discipleship (Luke 14:25-33), not all believers are disciples of the New Testament stamp (Greer, Life to Life Discipleship, 28).
For the past 7 years, I have endeavored to meet in “Discipleship Groups” with various willing senior high students. It has been a long learning process. I freely admit that when I began my first group with John Reside, I was terrible at it. I had no idea what I was doing. But there is one thing that I feel that I have done well; I have been willing to share my life with these students. I have never tried to gloss over the difficulties in Christianity or ministry. I have always shared my failures and shortcomings. It has been a very humbling process for me, but as you will eventually discover in Warren’s Purpose Driven Life, confession is the only way to truly find freedom from our personal sin. He also points out that people don’t grow from our strengths but from our weaknesses. Warren calls these principles transparency and authenticity. Being willing to share openly with those you disciple (or are in a small group with) and being willing to share all of your life, the good as well as the bad.
It has been difficult for me to over come the fear of sharing my failures. I have feared, as I’m sure many ministers have, that my personal sin could be used against me and cause me to loose my job. That is a possibility, but it is a possibility and a risk that I am willing to take. My freedom in Christ is a gift that is hindered by my fallen nature. Yes, I still fear admitting my sin to others, but my relationship to Christ is far more important than my job, my comfort, or even my pride. How could I be a faithful follower of Christ if I did not strive to seek Him as best as I know how? Transparency, authenticity, and confession to those closest to me has proven to be the best discipline to keep me on the “straight and narrow.”
Over the past 2 years, I feel that I have learned a great deal about following God and discipling others. The old cliché, “You cannot lead others where you have not been yourself,” has definitely been proved true. Many of us don’t experience the full power of Christ or the freedom He came to bring because we expect too little from Him not because we expect too much. Christ has released us from the penalties of sin and death. It is we who remain in them. He has done His part. Our part comes in obeying His commands. We don’t obey for salvation, that is His free gift to us. No, we obey to continue our sanctification (our being renewed in the image of Christ). Obedience is the key that unlocks God’s power to act in our lives. This is where we fall short. We have to change our lives and become more like Christ if we are going to impact our world.
Why am I sharing this? Well, partly because these few things, as simply as they may seem, have made a huge impact in my life. The other reason is that since we are beginning the 40 Days of Purpose, a good understanding and application of these principles could change the course of the rest of your life. Brother Lawrence once said, “ . . . our sanctification does not depend as much on changing our activities as it does on doing them for God rather than for ourselves” (Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, 24). It is not enough to read the Purpose Driven Life and attend a small group or Sunday school class. The information that we read and learn must go beyond causing us to change our beliefs. We must act on the information. It must create a desire in us to draw nearer to God and seek Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Just as not all believers are disciples, not all who participate really participate. If this experience isn’t causing us to have a greater love for God and the things He cares about, some where we’ve missed the point.
I do not believe, in itself, that my life is worth emulating. But I hope, like Paul, to be able to say: “ Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). May God bless us all as we seek Him with all our hearts.
Love,
Ryan
