My heart resonates with Judas and Silas, Paul and Barnabas. There is nothing I enjoy more than walking alongside a Christ-follower and encouraging them in their faith. My husband sometimes jokes that all I do is host "tea visits", but quite honestly, they are sacred times of sharing and prayer. There is so much that pours from a heart while holding a warm cup in your hands. The beverage is really inconsequential. It's just the means to the end. It is my delight to sit with dear ones and hear how God is at work in their life. From young people to seniors, my greatest joy is found in being a listening ear and giver of messages of hope and encouragement.
Christ, in the great commission tells us to "go and make disciples". In my younger years I always interpreted that as "go and be a missionary." Although that is a wonderful pursuit, Jesus primarily encouraged disciple-making. We must be growing in our faith, and we desperately need those who are willing to invest intentionally and consistently in our lives. Christianity isn't for lone-rangers.
You see, somewhere in my 30's, I noticed I was more on auto-pilot in my walk with the Lord. I was doing all the right things and saying all the right words, but I knew something was missing. There were three ladies in my life, all older than I, who I watched and envied. Their lives evidenced more than I was experiencing. God was so very real to them. I remember writing letters to each one of them, sharing what I saw and asking them what made the difference. I wanted what they had. These three ladies took the time to respond, mentor, encourage, pray and frequently follow-up, engaging with me to hear how my faith was growing. They each are a vital part of my testimony.
When I extend an invitation to tea, what I'm really saying is, "Come and tell me how things are between you and the Lord." "How are you growing and deepening your relationship with God?" "Are you in His Word?" "Are you obeying His Word?" "Where are you struggling to follow Him?" "How can I practically help you?" Most visits conclude with me saying, "Let's pray."
This is life-on-life. Disciple-making is more than discipleship. It's coming alongside others, not once or twice, but committing to personally guide another spiritually, teaching, sharing doctrinal truth, listening, correcting, encouraging, loving and praying. It's deeply caring for the spiritual growth of others, investing in their maturity as Christ-followers, training them to be disciples who will then disciple others. It involves authentically opening my own life and vulnerably exposing successes and sufferings, mountain tops and valleys, all through which the Lord has been faithful and good.
Investing in the lives of others is costly. Be prepared to persevere. Take the initiative. Make the time. I love how David Mathis, executive editor for Desiring God, describes disciple-making, "The heart of a disciple says, 'It makes me happier for you to have my time, my energy, my attention, my initiative than for me to keep them to myself.'"
I do believe our joy increases as we extend ourselves to encourage and strengthen the spiritual growth of others. It's such a rewarding pursuit. Let's go plug our kettles in and pour some tea!
1 comment:
Well somehow I missed this blog but even reading this last one is so lovely and so true. I totally agree. I remember when I was decades younger and Marion Collins would come for weekly tea and one of her first comment is” where are you at today?”… referring to hue was my walk in the Lord. It was a beautiful tone of growing in God’s Grace.
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