Here is a question! Is disciple-making easy or hard? It would seem that it is hard! We all know that making disciples was one of the last commands of Jesus and is therefore critically important in our lives. But not very many people are doing it — at least like Jesus did it. This might lead us to conclude that disciple-making is hard! On the other hand, according to author/speaker J.D. Greear, making disciples is “fairly easy.” Can this be true?
Here is what he says in his Internet article Without This One Thing Nothing Else Matters.
You simply bring people along in your spiritual journey. Making disciples is more about intentionality than technique: Discipleship means teaching others to read the Bible the way you read it, pray the way you pray, and tell people about Jesus the way you do. If you have Christian habits in your life worth imitating, you can be a disciple-maker. It does not require years of training.
Wow!! Can it possibly be that easy, just walking with others and sharing life together? And anyone one can do it!!!!
He continues to tell about one of his best evangelists/disciplers who simply gives different verses to people he is working with and asks them to write down what it means. He then discusses those verses and later asks if they could read different books of the Bible together. Pretty simple but very intentional about discipleship in relationship! And I think that’s the key and possibly the hardest part because many of us tend to go it alone, be selfish with our free time, and be distracted by things of the world instead of doing what disciples do with other growing disciples: read, pray, serve, and tell others about Jesus.
Whether easy or hard, it’s about following in the steps of Jesus by finding and going through the rhythms of life with a few people and pouring ourselves into them. It has to be doable.
There is a great line near the end of the movie, War Room. The elderly mature Christian woman says to her younger friend, “You need to find someone to invest in.” Do you have someone you are investing in this year? If not, ask God to send someone to you! Start following the command of Jesus to “make disciples” and be on mission with him to change the world.