Three Benefits of Discipleship
Three Benefits of Discipleship
Three Benefits of Discipleship
What happens when you get a group of women in a room to discuss life and the gospel?
Talking. Lots of talking. And questions. More questions than you can imagine. Why? Because we need
each other, and sometimes life can be confusing and include insurmountable circumstances. During my
time in settings like this, I’m reminded of the importance of discipleship.
Discipleship can take on many forms. It can be as simple as inviting someone into your kitchen for
fellowship to organizing a normally scheduled lunch. However it looks, it involves honesty, seeking
advice, and Scripture, and someone willing to do all of the above.
The Preacher in Ecclesiastes writes, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their
toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not
another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10).
He is writing about the vanity of trying to work alone as a means to outdo another. But labors aren’t the
only benefit of working together. Two are also better than one as we live out our faith in Christ. We really
need each other, though we often try to go at it alone. We really need reproof and instruction, though we
seldom seek it out. This is why discipleship is so important.
Proverbs says that a wise man will hear and learn, and will acquire wise counsel (Proverbs 1:5). So we
can safely assume that an unwise man will not hear from others, will shut them down and will not listen,
will lack understanding and will not acquire wise counsel. We need to resist the temptation to be wise in
our own eyes (Proverbs 3:7). This isn’t so easy! But as we seek to gain understanding, we must first
acknowledge that we don’t always know what is best.
Most of the time people won’t know the details of your life unless you are willing to share with them.
Being willing to be discipled by another provides an opportunity for prayer and mutual encouragement
(Galatians 6:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:11). We want to pursue one another because we are members of his
body (Ephesians 5:30).
This is Discipleship 101. It’s yet another proof that we need each other. We can’t obey the commands in
Titus 2 without being willing to be discipled (and being available and willing to disciple others!).