Marty (one of my teammates) and I were having lunch with another missionary in Rwanda this week. The funny thing is we were meeting to discuss how we could incorporate our Discovery Bible Study into his ministry even though he had been in Africa longer than both of us together. He has had the deep desire for quite a long time to change his ministry from a church planting ministry and to actually start discipling people. I would guess he is a man in his 50s and he is the son of missionaries. As we sat and talked he shared his desire to bring people to a far deeper relationship with God and commented on how planting churches fell short of this. He said to us, "I woke up one day and realized that even though my parents were missionaries, I was never discipled". Now he did not mean he was did not see the word of God lived out in his home or the lives of his parents. What he meant was that his parents never took him along side of themselves and with intentional words told him how to live and have a deeper relationship with God. I was struck by this and have been thinking about it all week. It is so common to say that we influence people for Christ by the way we live. "We can win more souls by being a good example than by opening our mouths". I'm sure I've said this and before this week I might have agreed to some extent but as I watch my children grow and learn about Christ in their school and on the mission field I have to say, "Hog wash". There is plenty said in the Bible about living right and being a good example but let's not confuse people. Let's not allow them to simply watch us and assume we are good people. Even many non christians "act right". We should not let the world confuse us with them and we should not let our children be confused by this concept. When Jesus "discipled" his disciples he did not just walk around and act nice. He invited them into his dwelling place. He brought them along side of himself and he spoke to them with wisdom only he could have. I must do this for my children. I have read the Bible to them nightly for as long as they can remember but that is not discipling them either. Teaching application is discipling. Discipling is imparting wisdom and confessing our mistakes and letting them walk the trails of faith with us so that they will have a map by which to navigate when I am longer around .
I am now afraid of another thing in my life. That my son will sit down some day with a missionary 15 years younger than himself and confess that he was never discipled by his parents. This was God speaking to me and praise to Him that on that day I had ears to hear.
Just remember, when you put your kids in bed at night or when you sit at the table to eat, pray, read and share. Don't let them make the mistake of thinking that you're simply "a good person". Let's remind them that there is more to being a disciple than acting like one.
For a great example of how to disciple your kids read Deuteronomy 6:4
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Blessing to all. We give thanks to God daily for so many of you who love and support us.
