Discipleship: It's For Everyone

Discipleship: It’s for Everyone!
I spent at least thirty years of my life wishing I could be discipled. I don't think I'm alone in this desire. For many years, there were older women that I wanted to sit beside in the hopes that what they had would rub off on me. Unfortunately, I never had the guts nor the vocabulary to ask them. Yes, I was timid, but along with that, I was not in a church where I ever heard about discipleship.

But that has changed! At Cornerstone, discipleship and mentoring are not just talked about, they happen.

Discipleship is a life changer. If it’s done right, it will increase your spiritual growth from your roots to the fruit you bear.

When I was a teenager, my parents were missionaries, and I attended a boarding school for missionary kids. For three of those years, my folks lived close enough to the school that I could live at home, as long as I didn't participate in after-school activities. However, I wanted to play basketball and volleyball. In order to let me participate, Donna (my coach) invited me to stay with her.

Donna wasn't just my teacher and my coach—she discipled me. It wasn't a formal discipleship, but living with her gave me a proverbial “fly-on-the-wall” view of her life. She modeled a Christian life that was growing and fruitful, amid all of the struggles. Every day I saw her digging into her Bible. I witnessed her prayers, her times of worship, and even the tears she shed for us kids. I saw her frustration and anger and hurt. I saw how she processed them with God and then with others. During that time, I also had Guillain Barre syndrome. With her mentoring, I learned to lean into God, and my faith grew stronger. She held me accountable, guided me, listened to me, cried for me, and celebrated with me. Donna pushed me like few others have before. She saw what I was capable of and like a true coach, she taught me, showed me what to do, and walked with me. She mentored me!

Another person who has taught me about discipleship is Paula, my co-worker. Paula mentors a small group of younger women, and they've walked through a lot of life together. This past winter, while Paula was out for brain surgery, one of those younger women filled in for her at work. At our workplace, we experienced three back-to-back major events in the lives of our co-workers, including Paula's surgery and the loss of another colleague’s spouse. Through those circumstances, I saw the fruit of Paula's investment in discipleship as God shone brightly throughout our workplace. Repeatedly, that young woman brought God's truth to the conversation and offered comfort, even in the midst of her own hectic life. Jesus leaked out of her. I don't know her story, but it's my guess that it's the result of the spiritual growth that's been spurred on by the discipleship group she's a part of and the older women in her life.

This isn't Paula's first foray into discipleship. She began years ago when her husband was in the Army. At one point she sensed God directing her to talk to a woman about getting together for discipleship. As God worked it out, both women were shopping in the base commissary at the same time. The first time Paula spotted her, she hid from her. While hiding, she was praying—listening to and questioning God. "God, are You sure? Me? I don't know anything about discipling. Her? Are You sure? She won't want me. Really? OK! Help me, Lord!"

During this conversation with God, Paula hid from her friend a second time. But the third time she saw the lady, she didn't hide. With God's help she told her friend what He had put on her heart. It turned out that the other woman had been asking God for someone to disciple her, and Paula was the answer to her prayer! If Paula had not listened and obeyed God, she would've missed out on one of the precious, life-long friendships God had for her.

Not only has Paula become my close friend over the years, but we've worked together. She's one of the two older women in my life now. That dynamic is crucial. We all need people who are further along in their Christian walk. We need them to faithfully walk in front of us—showing us where to step, what to watch for, what to avoid, and encouraging us to keep moving and growing. This ensures that we don't become one of those marathon runners who end up on the sidelines, crying that we can't do it.

Regardless of our age and how long we've been Christians, and regardless of our position in the church, discipleship is something every one of us should be involved in—being discipled and discipling others who are younger in the faith. It's an investment of our time and energy that has a return unlike any other!

If you want to learn more about discipleship and mentoring, check out the Resources for Follow: Invite. There's a collection of information there that can help you get started.

If you're interested in discipleship (and I hope that you are), but you don't know where to start, the first step is to start praying! Ask Him who you should talk to about it. If a name comes to mind, go talk with them! This can be as simple as inviting them to grab a coffee with you. If God doesn't point you to someone, ask a church staff member and they can connect you to someone. This is one of the reasons I love Cornerstone—they're passionate about discipleship and mentoring. It’s an undercurrent in the church that can be missed if you aren't looking for it. So look! Ask! They can point you in the right direction.