A Response to a Call to Disciple

By Susan Greeves

Wow, Pastor Dan's sermon was excellent and hit the nail on the head in every way that God has been speaking to me! Challenging me to continue with discipling, not only discipling my children, but having a humble-a teachable spirit to BE discipled continually too.

Wikipedia defines the word disciple as this: "The word disciple is used today as a way of self-identification for those who seek to learn from the teachings of Jesus, such as the Sermon on the Mount." Wikipedia also says that while Jesus had a large number of followers, it was not clear if they were actually disciples (my own paraphrasing). I would agree, just because someone knows about Jesus, doesn't not mean they are actively seeking to learn His ways--the difference in "head" knowledge and "heart" knowledge.

I find that I say that I want my life to be submitted to God to allow Him to transform me, but I find myself taking back that submission over and over again (not necessarily in all areas of my life at once, but different ones at different times). I need to continually become humble-to allow my spirit to be teachable. Praise God that it's my heart that he looks and not my outward actions--it's my continual renewing of seeking His knowledge that He is able to glorify Himself through His transforming power in my life. What a wonderful power His transformation is, without me changing myself on my own power, I look back and see how He has changed me in so few years since accepting His son as my Savior and Lord of my life.

Let me switch gears here for a minute to what I've discovered discipling is not: I've realized that discipling is not telling someone else HOW God should be working in their life or that He will "come through" for them the same way as He did in my life. He works completely different in one life to another. When we disciple another we help them seek Him and His way for their responses to their circumstances in life (allowing Him to glorify Himself through us). We may use our similar experiences to prove God's faithful, but not to say that's how He will work in their life. We have to becareful not to tell someone else how God will work, but to encourage that He IS faithful and will work, if we seek Him wholly. Praise God!