WE ARE...WOMAN WHO DISCIPLE

As we observe and study the ministry of Jesus, it is obvious that Jesus was committed to discipleship. Out of this commitment, He challenged and commissioned His church to be disciples and make disciples. In what we have come to know as the Great Commission Jesus gives His final directive to his disciples in Matthew 28:19:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

This command is not just about people in our sphere of influence being converted; it is also about the urgent and immediate task of teaching people to follow and obey Christ. The more I engage in ministry the more convinced I am of the necessity to make the distinction between someone who attends church and someone who is a true disciple. Our pews and buildings are being filled as we specialize in the use of the latest church growth methods, but sadly, many local churches are failing in the task of producing disciples. As the saying goes, “I can go and stand in a garage, but it doesn’t make me an automobile.” Attending church doesn’t automatically mean you are a disciple either.

Mike Breen was quoted as saying:

“If you make disciples, you always get the church. But if you make a church, you rarely get disciples.”

It is important that we first define what we mean when we use the term “disciple.” The Bible portrays a disciple as a person who is truly dedicated to learn, follow, and imitate the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an individual who is committed to obeying and spreading the teachings of Jesus. He or she, through biblical revelation, adopts Jesus' lifestyle, values, and mission to engage in total commitment, self-denial, and a transformation into Christlikeness. In his blog entitled, “What is a Disciple?” Barry Harrington states that there are three keys in determining who a disciple is. He states that a disciple is one who, “Follows Jesus, who is being changed by Jesus and who is committed to the mission of Jesus.” I love this quote because it involves a mind that is made up to follow the Lord; a heart that is open, ready and willing to be changed by the power of the Word and the Spirit of God. A genuine disciple is ready to put the principles that have been instilled in the head and experienced in the heart to action by making other disciples.

I am convinced more than ever that woman are called, uniquely gifted and equipped to play a significant role in the making of disciples. I say this because of the nurturing nature that God has graciously placed in us since our creation in the Garden of Eden. There is a part of discipleship that requires the ability to look at someone entangled in the bondage of sin, believe God’s word can transform them, and be willing to nurture them as they are developed into the disciple God desires them to be. Through this nurturing spirit, women who disciple must be women of vision, women of wisdom, women of patience, and women of prayer.

This kind of nurturing spiritual connection and intentional disciple-making was pivotal throughout Scripture. Women like Mary arrived at the tomb of Jesus in the predawn hours and spread the good news of His resurrection that brought life and hope back to His discouraged disciples. We see this in Naomi and Ruth, in Elizabeth the mother of John, and in Mary, the mother of Jesus. Each of these women engaged in a level of discipling, used as instruments to encourage and impart what was needed to propel each other into their God- ordained destinies.

So, the question then is, how do we, as women in the Church of God, continue to be women who disciple? Let me first suggest that this is accomplished when we purposefully engage in continuous growth as disciples. To be agents of change we must allow change to take place in us. We will only reproduce who we are ourselves. Howard G. Hendricks has said, “You teach what you know, but you reproduce what you are.” We must never cease to examine ourselves, our mindset, and our attitude toward others, but more importantly our relationship with the Christ that we follow.

Secondly, we must be intentional and strategic in our efforts. We must be willing to focus on those who God places in our path, while determining to impart the Word of God into them through creative means. This may require learning to work with the ideal type, who may not require much effort, and with the challenging type who may carry a multitude of issues and pain. God calls us to be intentional visionaries who aren’t focused on where people came. He desires that we see each person entrusted to us based on where they can go after being touched by God’s grace. Applying these principles will empower us by the Holy Spirit to become women who are used of the Lord to make disciples.

May we ever be mindful of the God ordained charge to be discipled and to make disciples. May we, in the Church of God be Woman Who Disciple.

Sheila Renee Lee

Victorious Life Church- Conyers

13547 Whitman Lane

Covington, Georgia 30014