Have you ever read something, heard something, or had a conversation with someone that just pierced through you, challenging the way you have been doing things? Over the past two to three months, I have had several of those moments, and it has been painful yet motivating. I have sensed a passion well up within me lately that is stronger than before. We need to make disciples.
A few books that I have recently devoured: Real-Life Discipleship by Jim Putman, Christlike by Bill Hull, and through the first half of Simply Christian by N.T. Wright. The thoughts that have really been rolling around in my mind are of the nature of my role as a pastor/minister and the role of other leaders who are not full-time church staff. Is there a difference in our basic responsibilities to the Great Commission? If I get up and preach a sermon, am I not calling those in the congregation to obey God's Word just as God has called me? Why do I feel the need to do everything on my own? Why do people look to me to do everything? Am I truly making disciples, am I helping others become like Christ, and do I help others take next steps in their walk with Christ?
These questions are really penetrating my heart and causing some self-reflection. But one thing that I know is that there is a life-cycle to the Christian Life. We all begin in a place of ignorance, even disbelief. We don't know and don't believe that Christ was the Son of God and that we are at odds with God Himself. We see no need to do anything that isn't good for ourselves. For those of us who begin the journey with Christ, we enter the path with little or no knowledge of God, the Bible, Jesus, or the life we are called to. As we learn about these things, we begin to seek relationships with others who are on the same journey we are on. As we connect with others who are helping us connect to God, we begin looking for an outlet to practice the things we are learning. We need to be trained how to live out service and to be released to perform such. Finally as we grow in our knowledge, connection, and others-oriented service, we must understand that there is a next step. It's not over because we have run the gamut.
As mature Christians, our role is to help others along the way. Help them learn about God, the Bible, Jesus, and the Christian Life. Help them connect to others who help them connect to God. Help them learn how to serve, where to serve, and release them to serve. Then we must train them how to help others along the journey and release them to do so. Hopefully you are noticing the cyclical pattern here. It brings to my mind a question: If I consider myself a mature Christian, and I am not helping others grow in their journey with Christ, am I truly mature? If that doesn't sting, it should. I know I am helping others grow, and I still wonder if I could be more intentional, more purposeful, more focused on helping people grow. Is there a process to help others become what I myself am in the process of becoming?
Perhaps I have more questions than answers at this point. I just hope that I am asking the right questions. The right answers to the wrong questions don't really get us where we want to go. If we start with the right questions, then we will at least be wrestling with what we need to wrestle with. And quite honestly, the right answer is not always that important. What is important is to approach the right questions from an attitude of humility and with an intention of discussion with others. If we can dialogue about things with other people, we will see different perspectives, which will deepen our understanding of the questions and their importance.
So what are the questions you are asking? What do you wrestle with? Where are you at in your journey with Christ? Who is helping you move forward? Who are you helping move forward? How are you helping them move forward? How can I help you help them? How did Jesus help people grow up? I hope we can bounce some ideas around and dialogue about these questions. It is the essence of our journey with Jesus, and it deserves a continuous discussion.
