"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28: 18-20
The Great Commission is the directive of all believers that follow Jesus in their lives. We are all called to take hold of this command in our walk with Christ. We are all called to be discipled, and to make disciples. The commission can seem very daunting for us. Not all of us are called to be pastors, preachers, and Bible teachers. How then, am I supposed to be used by God to make disciples of all nations? It seems too heavy of a task for me to bear. There are three traditional ways that we makes disciples of Christ. We are to teach, train, and equip. Each one of us is called to teach people how the Gospel works salvation into our lives because we are justified by Christ. We are all called to train other Christians, especially new believers, how to walk by faith. And finally, we are called to equip other followers with the tools they need to work out their salvation. Tools like a strong fellowship and church family, tools to study the Word of God, and guidance in understanding the Divine practice of conscious contact with God through prayer and meditation. This is the traditional three-legged stool to discipleship: we teach, we train, we equip. This is the equation of disciple making. Still though, this can seem like a task that, individually, I am not personally capable of. Thinking of those three aspects of disciple making, makes me think I need certain degrees and certifications. But let's remember that even though these are instruments to make disciples, Jesus often uses two simple words: "Follow Me". It is important for us to remember that when Jesus taught, trained, and equipped His disciples, He did one key thing in order to allow for those things to take place. He invited people to walk along side of Him, in other words, He said "follow Me". This should be an example to us as we seek to be disciple makers in our walk with Christ. The key to doing this is to invite people into your life, to walk along side of you, and be willing and open about sharing your testimony, how the Lord has redeemed your life as you have continued to seek Him faithfully. And be willing to listen, be patient, and be loving. Naturally as we do this, the Holy Spirit will guide us into the teaching, training, and equipping, without us even being fully aware. It starts with us being willing and humble enough to allow people to walk with us through life, be open about our struggles and testimonies, and inviting people to "follow me", as I "follow Him". Today, allow the Spirit to guide you into discipleship. Ask and thank God that He continues to disciple you, and ask for Him to give you the strength and direction to invite others into your life to do the same, trusting that He will be with you always, even to the very end of the age! Love you all! Praying for you and yours! Have a blessed day, it's your choice!
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