The first time I had someone disciple
me I was in jr. high. I remember I had seen and known a girl who was
in high school whom I secretly admired. She was someone people
respected and also was super cool - lol. The great thing was that she
was an active member at my church, led drama team and was a leader in
our youth group. As a young woman, she had an understanding of who
she was in Christ and I remember the feeling of encouragement and
empowerment that radiated off of her. I also knew in my young heart I
wanted to be like her. Fast track five years and I found myself,
shockingly enough, her position. Leader at youth, leading drama team
and being asked (and sometimes non creepily followed) by younger
girls who wanted to spend time with me. I often look back at Kristen
and think, if she had thought she couldn’t invest in someone, or
just would rather not and shrugged me off, my jr. and sr. years would
have looked very different. She took time out of her busy weeks to
take me out for lunch, coffee and even as simple as giving me a ride
to drama class or hanging out with me after church for a bit. It was
about simply spending time with her. Nothing had to be perfect or
organized.
Discipleship, in my honest and personal
opinion, should never have a set of rules…other than The Word.
Kristen taught me to pray out loud; before then I was waaaay too shy.
She was one of the first women I saw preach and teach, and every time
I speak or teach now I remember how the Lord taught me through her.
She taught me that it's all about Him and His glory. She taught me
that even if you’re young God is still going to use you to change
people’s lives. She also taught me how to disciple others...just do
it. One night before she was leaving to attend Master’s Commission
in Illinois she took me aside and told me that she now was passing
the leadership and discipleship of the drama team to me. She prayed
over me and when she came back at Christmas spent time with me going
over things and still pouring into my life. I, through her
discipleship and through God’s timing, attended Master’s
Commission also after graduation. Today its been 10-15 years since
those first initial imprints were made on me and I look at what God
has done in and through it. I am amazed that how when one of us
simply gives a little of who we are (faults included) that others,
for God’s glory, are forever changed. Today within my design
company and in my personal life I always have two discipleship
circles. Its an ongoing part of my life that I have set aside time
for. In the busyness of work, ministry, my other relationships I see
discipleship as something that is essential to our lives as Godly
women. Throughout the New Testament Paul so beautifully illustrated
both the discipling and being discipled example for believers. I
encourage you take a few moments out today and read through 2
Timothy, all three chapters, its only two pages, allow it to help you
see the love and overall incredible working of Christ through a
discipleship relationship. As you’re reading, ask God, to help you
to see more HIS bigger picture and how discipleship is about so much
more than what we see here on earth, right now.*
Mary
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