It’s May, and that means graduation where I live. For weeks I’ve been getting graduation invitations in the mail, and now there seems to be an endless stream of Kindergarten, Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and College graduations. What a great accomplishment for so many people at so many different levels.
There is one school, however, where no one ever graduates. No one ever graduates from the school of discipleship. Being and building disciples of Christ is a lifelong process. You will constantly be growing in Christ-like character, and you will continually be growing in Christ-like conduct. You never receive a diploma or degree when becoming a disciple of Christ.
As much as we like to get out of school, discipleship is a classroom you should never want to leave. I remember throwing my books up when I graduated from Elementary School. I remember having that same feeling of freedom when I graduated from High School, College, and Seminary. I was free at last. Thank God almighty, I was free at last!
Discipleship is different. I never want to leave it. I am a student for life. I am a work in progress and will never have my spiritual life mastered. I will never put the textbook away. I will never leave the laboratory of experiencing God and ministry. I’ll be taking tests and exams on my character till Jesus returns. I may get to a point where I am fully trained (Luke 6:40), but I will never fully develop this side of eternity. The school will always be in session.
I know many people who go through a year or two of discipleship and then stop. They fill in all the blanks in the curriculum and then put the books away. They have finished and completed the process. You can learn so much being in a discipleship group, but you will learn even more by leading others in a discipleship group. Just remember, the teacher never stops learning. If you are willing to take what you learn as a disciple and pass it on to others, you will be amazed at how much more you will learn and grow. The very fact that I am writing this blog is proof of the point I am making.
There was a day when I would have never written a blog on disciple-making, much less a curriculum for making disciples. The more I learn and lead, the more I grow. Do I have more to learn? Absolutely! In fact, after 40 years of disciple-making, I am just now starting to get it. My character is being transformed, and my conduct is changing. I have a long way to go but I am still in school.
My encouragement to you today is simple. Keep learning, growing, and teaching. Stay enrolled in school. You will never need a cap and gown in disciple-making. You will never frame a diploma or have a graduation party. You will become a different person. You will become more like Christ and less like you. That is the type of education you need the most.
At impactdisciples.com, you can find more information about how to grow into a fully trained disciple of Christ. Contact us if you need more information or if we can serve you in learning to be and build disciples.
This post originally appeared at: Be a Student for Life – Impact Discipleship Ministries