Discipleship Letters 11-12

Discipleship Letter 11                                                            May 18, 2008

“Disciplemaking is individualized. Every disciple grows differently, and every disciplemaker nurtures with a little different emphasis. I don’t know exactly what a discipling relationship will look like for you and your disciple, because individuals are all different. But it is the same God who works in all of us” [Alice Fryling (ed.), Disciple-Makers’ Handbook: Helping People Grow in Christ (Downers Grove: IVP, 1989), pp. 33-34.].

This is the beauty of discipleship at a local church. In a discipling relationship, spiritual growth can be individualized, and spiritual struggle can be coped with relevant spiritual direction from a discipler. The church should not generalize a biblical truth and expect a particular (a believer) to accept and apply it without knowing much about his/her own situation.

Spiritual growth is a local business. Disciplemaking can provide a local space for brothers and sisters to grow toward maturity in Christ. Not only do we provide, but also protect the locality—a local sharing, a local struggle, a local life-issue, a local failure, a local thanksgiving, a local ambiguity, a local love story, a local sin, and a local praise.

The church should provide and protect. Moreover, the church should also pray for each disciple’s local story, for only God can deal with our fallen locality. 

--

Discipleship Letter 12                                                            May 25, 2008

Disciples are doers, not dreamers. Christ does not use uncommitted disciples who believe but don’t follow Him. Uncommitted disciples tend to criticize what people do, but they rarely commit themselves into it. They often see a problem off the way but never deal with the problem on the way. Uncommitted disciples are dreamers.

Someone asks, “What is the true nature of commitment?” [John C. Maxwell, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1999), pp. 19-20.]

1. Commitment starts in the heart: We want everything to be perfect before we commit ourselves to anything. In other words, we commit to achievement. Christian discipleship starts in the heart, for we don’t see the end result—a disciple grows toward maturity in Christ. We can only wait, see, and trust. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do” (Prov. 4:23).
2. Commitment is tested by action: We don’t talk about commitment. We show our commitment. We are committed to follow Christ: show it in our action. We are committed to do discipleship: prove it with our action.
3. Commitment opens the door to achievement: Discipleship is a soul, slow work. If we determine to “present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28), we will face plenty of obstacles. Commitment will carry us forward.