Ephesians 4:11,12 tell us that God has given us leaders to help those following Jesus to understand how to get ready to impact their work place, neighborhoods, community clubs, towns and cities. Many people have an interest in making a difference with their life but are uncertain how to go about it. There are many moral and ethical issues facing us today and we need input on how to deal with these things.
Just as any athlete must go through training in order to compete in a challenging event, so those of us following Jesus must learn how to help our friends understand what life is about and how to wrestle with the hard questions life throws at us. Discipleship is not only getting out of the starting blocks in a race but also dealing with what happens after the first turn or the next to last lap. It is sharing life with new followers and those who have been on the track for a long time.
It is a challenge to invest time with someone when we are often separated by distance and busy schedules. We can easily become passive but discipleship requires interaction with people in real life settings. Helping people learn to follow Jesus is more effective when it is done in a context where people are connected by proximity, relationships, transparency and values. In 2 Timothy 3:10,11 Paul reminds Timothy that they were in the arena together and he saw Paul's manner of life, direction, faith, love, troubles, suffering, grief, etc. They didn't just do a Bible study on this but got dirt on them as they traveled life together.
We need leaders who will model what it means to innovate, experiment, risk, fail and begin again in living out the gospel with friends.
Our neighbors are learning how to squeak by in life by TV, the Internet and music. They are not getting their money's worth. Most of the people in these venues are not connected to Jesus and so they are communicating a very limited perspective on what is real or important in life. Think about how refreshing it would be for them to see in you and I, color in a black and white world. But we do have to learn how to hold the brush, what picture to paint, what paint to use and how to get it to stay on the canvas.
Let's not add to their conclusion that Christianity is a "harmless delusion."
Focus Thought Training is essential for those who follow Jesus. It is best carried out in real life situations because that is where people live.
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