All to Him I Owe

Let’s say that you are valuing small talk and practicing the fine art of auscultation (ie. listening). Through the means of these two tools God suddenly presents you with a real, meaningful, spiritual conversation with someone. This conversation reveals real spiritual needs and struggles in the life of another. You want to help! How do you lead that conversation at this new level?

Good disciple makers lead the conversation from a position of transparent humility, rather than expert authority. Let me illustrate.

I reached out to a friend one time about a struggle I was having in my walk with the Lord. This friend responded with a confident statement that he didn’t struggle like that but knew what I should do. He then proceeded to give Bible answers, but they felt as though they had been learned from the Bible college classroom, rather than from his own experience. I was experiencing a friend trying to help me from the position of expert authority.

Another time I reached out to a friend and asked for help with a struggle I was facing. This particular friend responded with a very humble testimony that he struggled in a similar way and was finding a set of Biblical truths to be of great help to him. He then proceeded to share what he was currently learning and how he thought that might help me. He was discipling me from the position of transparent humility. His position of transparent humility made his counsel easier to understand and apply.

Some people think that the key to being a disciple maker is having superior knowledge on a topic and perfect performance, but this is far from true. One of the greatest keys to being a disciple maker is having the transparency and humility to come alongside someone and grow with him in the same area.

Have you ever thought that some of your greatest assets in disciple making are the following?

1. Your own personal testimony of struggles

2. Lessons God taught you through those struggles

3. Lessons God is currently teaching you through those struggles.

Disciple making is not trying to bring someone to where I am but stepping alongside someone and growing with him to the place we both need to be. Use the position of transparent humility in your relationships with others. By God’s grace, may we grow together with others to the place God would have us all to be.