"Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20
We learn so that we can teach; the disciples were no exception. Jesus hadn't poured his heart and soul into them, taught them kingdom principles, and walked a long miraculous road with them for the sole purpose of enriching their lives! While yes, it did change and enrich the disciple's lives, the purpose was for them to obey the command, otherwise known as the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28, "therefore, go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
A disciple, among other things, is a growing person as well as a witness of Christ. We must first learn before we can teach. I believe that in order to grow, we must be constantly learning. Of course, there will be periods of life when more learning will be done and significant growth will result more than others, and that is the focus of my post today. Times of significant learning and growth and what we do with the knowledge gained; how we witness it, how it points back to Christ...
Growth isn't always a pleasant process; in fact, it's often a painful one. Sometimes it's painful because God is pruning us to take us to a new level in our relationship with Him, sometimes it's painful because we kick and scream because we don't like change, and sometimes it's painful because other people cause us pain. Do we learn something even when the growth process is unpleasant? Do we learn something that can be shared when we have no words or explanations, when we think that all we have to show from that particular growth is a wounded heart? I didn't think so, but I do now! I think it's through those painful experiences of growth that God can teach us the most about Himself and the most about who He created us to be!! That is the best kind of learning!! That is the kind of learning we can teach!!!
When God teaches us more about who He is and who He created us to be; when we go to a new level of understanding and relationship with Him, and when we realize that we learn so that we can teach; we are ready to move on to step 2 which is being a witness to Christ. We are to go into the world and into the church and model Christ. We aren't called to be perfect people but our goal should be to structure our lives in such a way that every word we say, every step we take, and every thing that we do points them to the One that is perfect. We often think that to make disciples means to go out and bring unbelievers into the faith and I 100% believe that is true but I also think that making disciples starts with being a disciple, someone who learns and grows, and then takes what they learn and teach it to others who might need or be going through the same thing. That includes Christians not just unbelievers. Sometimes, we need to look within, how can what we just learned strengthen our brothers and sisters in Christ so that they too can be more effective in making disciples of all nations and in doing so, further the message of Christ. What I have learned is that if you don't take the time to strengthen, love on, and witness to your brothers and sisters in Christ, then the message you (and they) are sending into the world is one of discord, hatred, strife, and brokenness and that my dear friends, makes us guilty of hurting the message of Christ not furthering it.
So today, let's determine in our hearts to do one thing, to encourage and strengthen a fellow believer so that more unity, strength, and love can be produced from the body of Christ; that will make unbelievers want to learn more!
Thanks for reading my random thoughts.... I hope they are a blessing... for me this is just a way of sharing what's on my heart and mind at the moment. I am not an authority or expert on these topics... just a student! God Bless!
