The Art of Making Disciples

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. Matthew 28:19 NIV.

There she was once again, leaving me in awe and making me proud; this time, she was being interviewed as an example of an entrepreneur woman. This wasn’t the first time she got to share what she had learned from previous experiences and her walk in life, at least not with me. For me, these conversations are usual. Whether we set up a date or just grab the phone to talk, she always has some wise insights to share.

I can say she lives our Lord’s commandment of making disciples. Ever since we met, around 15 years ago back at college, she was determined to make me a disciple of Jesus. Little did I know that seven years after, and through much prayer from her, I’d accept the Lord as my personal Savior.

She has a gift. She enjoys sharing with people the good and bad things of her life, especially, pointing people to Christ. And that’s what she did with me. Not preaching to me every day or judging me, just living out the gospel again and again. Even when she failed, she never tried to cover it, rather, she’d highlight the grace of our Savior and say “that’s exactly why I need a Savior”.

I don’t think she knew how she was impacting my life, nor do I think she was able to see the battle inside me. I just think she decided to love me and accept me every day. “I’m praying for you” she’d say, all I’d say was “ok”, not having the slightest idea of what it meant.

I think as Christians, we try to complicate the command the Lord gave us, “go and make disciples”, we think if we don’t go to a Bible Institute or don’t have a degree in theology we don’t have a chance, so why even try it.

Whenever we decide to be intentional about nurturing a relationship with a friend, neighbor, or a co-worker, we have the possibility of making a disciple. It’s not about inviting them to church every  Sunday till they hide from us – it’s about bringing the church to them.

How are you living your life today? Are you living in a way that, even without noticing it, you’re bringing the people around you closer to Jesus? It’s not recorded in the Bible that Jesus handed out tracks or invited people to Sunday school (although there’s nothing wrong with that). What is ecorded, however, is how he engaged people in their communities, how he’d often go to have dinner with someone or meet them at their workplace.

Today it could be a great day to take someone for a cup of coffee, being genuinely interested in them with the hope that through you, by the grace of God, one day they might know Jesus.

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