Discipleship: Who Initiates? Ephesians 4:11-16

One of the most interesting discussions in the realm of discipleship is about who initiates the discipleship relationship. I have met many who fall on either side of thought. Some say that one knows a disciple is ready to take the next step in growing in their faith when they are ready to ask for closer help on the journey of faith. Others will say that the mature Christian needs to be actively looking for others to pour into. Someone else might point out the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing two individuals together for the sake of growing. I would like to reflect on this discussion from the angle of Ephesians 4:11-16:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

 We are bound to one another in the church, called to invest our special gifts and passions into one another. This bind is the special act of God. It is through this process that God protects us from the false teachings and perversions that pass through Christian ranks as well as raises us into who we were meant to become. Bonheoffer offers some relevant thoughts here when he spoke of how being a neighbor means that our gifts are demanded by the other. It is not the quality of the other who forces our hand, but instead out status as neighbor. Our very position demands that we act.

When we make the commitment to Christ, we are making the commitment to join a body of faith. I believe that we are bound on both sides of the equation, seeking out the discipleship relationship regardless of which side of the relationship we end up on. An example that would help clarify this idea is how we unintentionally disciple many of our friends just through daily interaction. Our little stories and encouragement breathe life and maturity into those that we spend time with. The bond that we share with those around us requires responsibility and stewardship. We are always growing. Whether we are growing into better or worse people is mostly up to us. In the same way, we are always discipling. Whether we disciple well or poorly depends on the intentionality and effort put into the relationship. While many discipleship relationships are best left informal, others require a concentrated, organized, and thoughtful interaction in a time specially set apart for formation.

Listen to where God is acting in your week. Who is He letting you influence? Discover if there are relationships that you need to own up to. See if the chance for formation and discipleship is presenting itself. Most importantly, listen to God and others with love, seeking their best and learning how your relationships can bring out full and complete maturity, rather than being satisfied with simply being comfortable.