Ramblings on discipleship

Discipleship begins before a person's salvation moment/ conversion experience and continues through the rest of their walk upon this earth. Discipleship is better understood as a journey, a pursuing after Christ and being pursued by Christ. This journey is like a dance, twirling and gliding on the feet of our Father, steadily holding his hands and heart glowing because of the momentum of the twirls and the exhilaration of the dance. Journey is messy, even though we haven't always allowed for ourselves and others to admit the messiness of the journey. The goal of discipleship is transformation, steadily becoming more like Christ. It is Christ in us and the hope of this transforming presence that continues to give meaning to our lives. We must remember that discipleship should not happen alone. We must have community for discipleship to be effective. We need relational intimacy with those that have walked this journey ahead of us and understand the highs and lows and the ins and outs of this roller-coaster ride we call the Christian life. And as we have been poured into by seasoned souls we too must pour ourselves into the lives of others.

Jesus Christ was relational and allowed for his disciples to ask questions and was patient with them when they didn't get it. Jesus understood the importance of hearing a person's story and seeing the Greater Story. We haven't lost that relational thrust of following Christ. Following by its very nature implies relationship. We don't follow those we don't know. Likewise, today in our ever changing world we need to be sensitive to the stories of others, and allow them to see how their story connects to the Greater Story. But hearing a person's story will not occur outside of relationships. This sort of thinking should change the way we share the gospel with those outside of church culture. The content certainly won't change but the way we present the message will. When we commit to relationships with those who are outside of church culture we are making a long term investment in the lives of those whom Jesus misses most.

Article Source: http://youth-ministry-resources.com

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