Getting Started with Discipleship

You know you’re getting old when fishing seems more and more appealing – at least that’s my story. When I was younger, the idea of fishing seemed so boring, but now the idea of sitting around with some friends in silence seems like an ideal afternoon. Maybe we’re all a little overstimulated, maybe men just can’t help themselves from picking up a new hobby, but nevertheless, this is where I found myself. 

While I’ve had an interest in fishing, what I haven’t had is a guide, a mentor, a teacher – someone who could show me how to actually fish. That is, until I met my friends Brad and Nate. Earlier this year, we made plans to fish, and we had a great time. Afterward, we talked and said we wanted to make this a habit, something we do consistently. Sadly, as our enthusiasm faded and our schedules got busier, fishing fell by the wayside. 

Have you ever been in this position? You wanted to take up something new, began with great enthusiasm, but ultimately lost interest in the face of incremental life changes. This is how many feel about the concept of discipleship. We listen to sermons and podcasts highlighting the importance of meeting with others and helping them grow in faith, but when we try to begin, we run into roadblocks. 

In today’s post, I will be writing about how to get started in a discipleship relationship. 

Review 

First, I’d like to take some time to review. In my most recent post, I attempted to clarify what Discipleship is. In that post, I argued that Discipleship is simply helping someone else grow in faith. I said that Discipleship is inherently relational, meaning that it takes time and effort. If you’d like to read that post, you can click below.

How to Energize Your Spiritual Life

This is the first step to becoming involved in the Discipleship process. We must be committed to the fact that Discipleship is important enough that Jesus commanded it, and as His followers, we are tasked to walk with others in the manner He has walked with us. We must be like the Apostle Paul, who commissioned his protege Timothy: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2) 

Who Should We Disciple? 

Once we are committed to Discipleship, we face a relevant question: Who is it that we should pursue? This is a fundamental question that will impact whether or not we are successful in handing down the faith entrusted to us (Jude 1:3). When considering this question, it’s helpful to ask, “How did Jesus choose?” Unfortunately, we do not have a list of his qualifications, nor do we have insight into what he was thinking when he chose his disciples. However, we do have one statement he often repeated: “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Mark 4:9) What we gather from this small statement is that the best disciples are not always the wisest or the most capable; rather, they are the ones who have taken an interest in the things of God and love to hear His Word. They are those who ask good questions about the Bible, who show an interest in people, and who are eager to share Jesus with others. 

It is at this point that I’d like to share three helpful qualities to look for in a possible Discipleship relationship. When looking for someone to pour into, you should be looking for someone who is (1) Available, (2) Faithful, and (3) Teachable.  

First, someone who is (1) Available is someone who has room in their schedule to meet consistently. This quality is found in those who see the importance of Discipleship the same way you do. If you are uneven in this respect, one of you will grow frustrated over the fact that the other is not taking this as seriously as they ought. 

Second, someone who is (2) Faithful is someone who shows consistency to the people and activities in their life. This is a person who says what they mean and means what they say. When they schedule something with you, you know they are not going to back out, barring an emergency. They are someone who does not need to take an oath because their yeses and nos mean something (Matthew 5:37). 

Finally, someone who is (3) Teachable is someone who showcases humility in their life. This is not a person who believes they already know it all. Rather, someone who showcases teachability is someone who is constantly asking questions. We see this in Jesus’ disciples when they approached him asking, “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1) What this comes down to is respect. In order for a discipleship relationship to be established, there needs to be respect in both directions. Respect for the discipler to challenge the disciplee, and respect for the disciplee to trust that the discipler knows what they’re talking about. 

Progress Over Perfection 

I would like to end this post with an encouragement. So often, whenever we set standards, we are prone to thinking of it as perfection. “Oh, I’d love to invite Sam into a discipleship relationship, but he’s only been to small group 4 of the last 6 weeks.” This is why it needs to be said that we are looking for Progress Over Perfection. Just as Jesus’ disciples were not perfectly Available, Faithful, or Teachable, we should not expect perfection out of the people in our lives. 

This brings us back to where we began. Who is the kind of person who should enter a discipleship relationship? It is someone who has a heart for God. In my experience, I find that if someone loves God and loves people, the other character traits sort themselves out in time. What about you? Has God put someone on your heart as you’ve read this brief post on Discipleship? I pray that He would encourage your heart to pursue progress over perfection as you seek to take part in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).