Read Mark 3:13-19
Let’s Do What Jesus Did!
I feel compelled to re-read these verses again because something jumped out to me that I feel is from the Lord. I hope it speaks to you.
Vs 13: Jesus summoned the 12 he wanted as his disciples in order to invest into their lives while teaching them God’s word and teaching about himself.
Vs 14: Jesus eventually wanted to disciple them so that they would be equipped to go out and invest into the lives of others as Jesus did them. Ultimately, the hope is that the people they invest in, captures the vision of investing into others.
Vs 15-19: Jesus chose 12 and even gave three of them a name that depicts how God saw them.
What’s interesting, I found an old card in the back of my prayer book from years ago. Someone gave me the card and challenged me to think of five people (I only picked four) who I could invest my life into and encourage them in their faith walk with Christ. I was flooded with memories of weekly contact with the four and the transformation that was seen in some of these lives. Did I see a transformation in all of them? No! But that doesn’t mean God wasn’t working in their lives. The one person who I saw no change in, gave me a message last week that he wanted to be a part of a Young Adult Bible Study. This is huge!!
So here’s the challenge:
1. Know who you are in Christ. Maybe he hasn’t given you a name but he has made it clear that as followers of Christ we are heirs with God, even co-heirs with Christ. Knowing who we are in Christ is important so we can move forward in the spirit with confidence and boldness.
2. Pray for God to give you names of people you can invest into with love, with God’s truth, while discipling and encouraging them. This might be one person or as many as five. How many you disciple isn’t what’s important. What’s important is, are we doing what God has called us to do? He’s calling us to make disciples for him. I’d rather have you disciple one person and really invest into their lives, rather than pick five and end up not really investing in any of them.
3. Then pray, pray, pray, for daily guidance and wisdom. Pray God will give those times of opportunity to meet and invest into their lives.
4. Then get ready to see God work and see lives transformed, including your own.
