Discipleship Part 2: Keep It Simple

Often we make discipleship more complicated than Jesus intended. The heart behind this series of discipleship posts is to remove some of the complication that can arise. With good intentions, we create programs, classes, hire consultants, create pathways, take courses, read books, research studies, go to conferences, and constantly tweak our systems. All of this for a better "discipleship plan." Some of those things are genuinely helpful, but they do have a side effect.

My observation is that because discipleship is hard we believe it must be complicated. No, instead, discipleship is not easy but it is meant to be simple.

To simplify, I suggest we think in terms of a Venn diagram. Imagine the following three always at play, with the heart of discipleship at the intersection of all three.

Believe. Belong. Become.

These three words give us a simple way to think about following Jesus. And the concepts are seen all over scripture. For simplicity's sake I will focus my thoughts around what we read in Ephesians 2:8-9. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Believe: a disciple is a learner. Discipleship begins with what we believe. To believe in Jesus is to entrust ourselves to Him. To depend, trust, and grow in understanding of what we have banked our life on. The content of the gospel, the story of Scripture, and God’s working in the world. It takes effort, time, study, and discipline to know the truth of God’s Word. This is a pivotal aspect of discipleship.

Belong: Following Jesus is incredibly personal, but it is a life never meant to be lived alone. The idea of being a “lone ranger Christian” is not biblical. All over Scripture, various metaphors are used to describe life as a Christian who "belongs." We are called a field, army, body, all intended for us to see ourselves as part of the larger family of God. We belong. Spiritual maturity and growth happen when others know us, when we forgive, encourage, challenge, love, and bless others.

Christian community is one of the places where our faith becomes visible.

Become: the goal is to become more like Jesus. More than a bumper sticker, this is a marker of maturing faith. What does maturity look like? Read Paul's words in Galatians 5 about the Fruit of the Spirit or reflect on Jesus' words in Matthew 5-7 as he gives the Sermon on the Mount. These are just a few New Testament highlights of how a disciple of Jesus's is transformed.

Why? If our beliefs never shape our lives, something is missing. If our community never challenges or changes us, something is missing. If our faith never produces transformation, something is missing.

Believe informs us. Belonging surrounds us. Becoming transforms us.

And these three overlap. Think of them as three circles that increasingly intersect.

Believe: What am I learning to understand and trust?

Belong: Where am I practicing my faith with other people?

Become: How am I becoming more like Jesus?

This gives us a remarkably simple self-diagnostic tool.

• What am I believing? Or, in what environments and I learning from God’s Word?

• Who am I belonging with? Or, who am I growing in my faith with?

• How am I becoming? Or, are my actions more in line with Jesus or less so? Why?

If you lead a group, evaluate where you are strong or weak in discipleship:

• Is our content biblical and connected with our groups every day life?

• Is our group involved in one another’s life genuinely outside of our formal meetings?

• Is our group, each individual, actually transforming in our daily life? How?

Unless we are becoming more like Jesus, we have to ask whether our discipleship is actually accomplishing what it is intended to accomplish.

Discipleship doesn't have to be complicated, but it does take effort.

Reflection

• Which of these three is currently strongest in your life? Belief? Belonging? Becoming?

• Which one needs greater attention?

• And what would taking one next step look like?