Making Disciples

I think that we can’t really make disciples of others until we understand what it means to “give all” to be disciples ourselves. We can only make disciples like ourselves; meaning, if we aren’t true disciples of Christ, we can’t hope to make a true disciple out of another.

I asked a group of ladies this week: “If we were told in the Great Commission to ‘make disciples of all nations’ , how much more is it an understood truth that we first must make disciples of our own children?”

The gravity of being given children of which to make disciples–followers of Christ! How overlooked, underestimated and ignored this task is. Do we even have to say it? If Christians are laboring to win others to Christ at the neglect of discipling their own children, what a sad irony I think our Lord must feel!

Worse yet, and even more common…if we are neglecting to disciple our children for the pursuit of non-eternal things–recreation, careers, MY things, how sobering the thought of our judgement.

For how can we even begin to tell a hurting world about the grace and love of a Savior when that grace and love can’t even be seen in our homes?

And what is discipleship? It is the walking beside someone; and for them, it is following. Jesus showed us extensively how to make disciples. His constant teaching, talking, encouraging, sometimes rebuking–all of it was what he devoted his life to while he was here. His disciples weren’t perfect; but they followed. They followed because He had their hearts

This is, by far, my battle cry for homeschooling…I believe discipleship is intense, requiring enormous amounts of time and energy. Again, not the most popular route in modern-day American–making disciples. But one we are privileged to be called to.

Let’s walk alongside our children today, not just in a physical sense, but with a zeal and purpose to disciple their hearts. To do as Jesus did…to talk of God’s love and commands when we get up, when we lie down, while we walk during the day, and when we sit in our house. Let us imprint them in their minds, and hide them in their hearts.

WORK I tell you, it’s work! And we may not see the fruit of our labor for many years. Some plants seeds of discipleship into the lives of others that never see their fruit until Heaven. Let’s get the mind of Christ, and be content with delayed results, if that’s what we get. Let’s get out of our “gotta have it now” mentality when it comes to spiritual things.

Let’s be true disciples…and make true disciples.