Discipleship is Ordinary Christianity

What is your mission as a Christian? If God gave you instructions for daily Christian living, what would He include in it?

At the heart of the Christian vocation is the task of discipleship. This is clearly seen in the last words of our Lord before his ascension:

«And Jesus came and said to them, »All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. [Amen]” (Matt. 28:18–20).

What does it mean to «make disciples»? A disciple is someone who learns and follows Jesus. When we engage in discipleship, we work to help those who don’t yet know Jesus begin to follow Him (conversion) and then train them to faithfully follow Christ in all areas of their lives (growth and maturity).

Many Christians hear this and see it as an unattainable ideal. They think, «Yes, I would like to do discipleship, but it’s not for me.» They think it’s a task beyond their spiritual training. But is that true? Is discipleship the sole responsibility of pastors, ministers, and the «spiritually mature»? Or is it perhaps the calling of every Christian?

My main point is this: Discipleship is ordinary Christianity. It is the foundation of our faith. Just as in the physical world children learn to count and say the alphabet, in the spiritual world discipleship permeates almost every part of Christian life. Because Christianity is a faith of community, it is inherently a faith of discipleship.

When you hear about discipleship, dozens of different approaches can come to mind. Some insist on reading a book together, meeting for coffee, having lunch together, or training together. All of these can contribute to discipleship, but they are not the prerequisites or the essence of discipleship. Jesus did not give us a specific program to follow, but he left us an example and a broad, all-encompassing command: to make disciples. As a result, we have both great freedom and great responsibility in this endeavor.

When Jesus calls us to make disciples, He wants us to live in obedience to Him in the presence of others (both believers and non-believers). This conscious living is to show others the value and power of Christ. In other words, we let people into our lives so that they can see how we put Christian faith into practice.

Here are some examples:

• Discipleship occurs when a man who wants to get married doesn’t know how to prepare for it. He turns to another brother for advice and help. The brother invites him to dinner, discusses biblical and practical principles, prays for him, keeps in touch to answer questions, and meets with him from time to time to talk about his progress.
• Discipleship occurs when a mother of two young children returns an item she borrowed from a sister at church. During the conversation, she confesses that she feels tired and insecure because she doesn’t live up to her ideal of ideal motherhood. Another woman listens to her, reminds her of Scripture, prays with her, and continues to support her with encouragement from the Gospel.
• Discipleship occurs when a father points out to his teenage sons a woman who is dressed too revealingly and explains to them that this is not true beauty. He explains what beauty in a woman is according to God’s character and will. He constantly speaks, shows, and emphasizes true beauty that pleases God (1 Pet. 3:3–4).
• Discipleship occurs when a brother notices that another brother is too absorbed in work, neglecting his family and ministry. He approaches him to remind him of the true and eternal treasure and the right view of his work.
• Discipleship occurs when a mother is playing with her children in the park. At some point, the children begin to misbehave, and she patiently, piously, but firmly disciplines them. Many observers surround her. Both believing and unbelieving women observe her behavior with interest. Conversations are sparked, and soon the fruits of the Spirit point to the surpassing value of Christ.
• Discipleship happens when a mother who is homeschooling her children finds free time to go to a familiar coffee shop, hoping to make new acquaintances and open doors for the preaching of the Gospel.
• Discipleship occurs when a single sister notices another single sister struggling with dissatisfaction with her status. She decides to support her by encouraging her with the good news of the Gospel.

All of these situations are ordinary, everyday occurrences. In fact, these examples are taken from the life of our church family. It is this kind of ordinary work that moves a church toward maturity and protects it from spiritual collapse.

«But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called «Today,» so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the confidence of our beginning firm to the end» (Heb. 3:13–14).

Discipleship should be a common practice for believers. One could say that Christianity is more than discipleship, but certainly not less. We are responsible for each other. This is written in our «job description.».