To live Christ centered is to truly find Life the
way it was meant to be lived. This is the life in
which Jesus Christ and a relationship with Him is
the center of our life. When our relationship with
Christ is the center, it will impact every area of life and
that is what it was meant to be like!
Modeling: Lead By Example
Modeling for your disciple is so important. This
does not mean that we are perfect and that the
disciple we are investing in will see us that way.
No what it means is that we can show another person
how important that Christ is to us by watching the
way we live. This may involve going out to lunch
together and bowing for prayer in a busy
restaurant. Invite them to your house for a night
of fun watching football or a show of your
choosing. People can learn how important that
Christ is in us in the way we treat our spouse or
even in the way we interact with a waiter or
waitress.
Be a Humble Servant
Humility is near and dear to the heart of Jesus.
This is often one of the hardest characteristics for
even long-time Christians to be consistent in. We
can show our humility in many ways. In theBeatitudes in
Matthew 5, Jesus includes both humility and meekness
in His description of a mature Christian. When we
humble ourselves and put the needs of other’s before
your own, it is then God’s responsibility to take
care of you. He will give you favor with Him and
with man (Proverbs 3:3-5).
Accountability
True discipleship requires accountability. If you
are going to disciple someone, this must be more
than a social gathering where you get caught up on
the things of life. Have fun but don’t forget why
you are meeting together and that is to make
disciples. One practical way to do this is by
having a set of questions that both you and your
disciple knows you are going to discuss each
meeting. Questions like…what did you read this
week? Were the internet sites you looked at this
week pleasing to God? How was your prayer time
this week?
Practice Spiritual Disciplines
Christians over the years have learned that certain
disciplines and practices help them keep the
spiritual channels open and help keep the heart
turned toward God. These disciplines cannot bring
you salvation; they can’t even make you a holy
person. But they can heighten your desire,
awareness, and love of God by stripping down the
barriers that you put up within yourself and some
that others put up for you. What makes something a
‘spiritual discipline’ is that it takes a specific
part of your way of life and turns it toward God. A
spiritual discipline is, when practiced faithfully
and regularly, a habit or regular pattern in your
life that repeatedly brings you back to God and
opens you up to what God is saying to you. Christian
devotional practice is squarely centered on Jesus
Christ as found in the New Testament.
Faithfulness: Be there for them
A discipling relationship needs to be a faithful
relationship. It is important to meet regularly
with them and to be someone they can count on. Be
reliable and committed to them. This will be very
evident for them to see if you are committed to
meeting and being with them or if it is just
something that you are trying to fit into your
schedule. If you give your disciple something to do
(like homework of reading a certain Scripture
passage or maybe sharing their faith one time over a
week period), please remember to check if they did
it. This will let them know you are committed to
their spiritual well being.
Faithfulness in any of the areas that are most
important in life requires that we discipline
ourselves for the long haul, not the quick fix.
Another way of putting it is: life is a marathon,
not a sprint. Whether in our marriage, a job, a
diet, or our relationship with God, sticking to it
day after day, week after week, and doing it right,
is a challenge.
EST. 1811
