In my first blog of the year I wanted to encourage you to put as much or more effort into your spiritual wellbeing as you do your physical health. To help you accomplish that I want to challenge you to become a discipling Christian. That is, helping someone else grow in their relationship with the Lord.

Discipling Christians are mature in their own faith and willingly invest themselves in the lives of others. The natural place for this to occur is the local church. Scripture clearly teaches that the church is to be a place of discipleship. Each member is gifted by the Holy Spirit for the edification [the building up] of other members. (Check out 1 Corinthians 12:12-26; Hebrews 10:24-25; and Romans 12:10-16)

It's important for us to remember that the responsibility to disciple falls on both the collective membership and the individual member. Merely associating with a congregation does not ensure discipleship is taking place. The leadership of the church must seek to create a culture of discipleship within the body, but each member has a responsibility to disciple their brothers and sisters in Christ.

The first practical step in discipleship is choosing someone you could help “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18) I think some men fail to disciple simply because they don’t know who needs discipling. Here are some suggestions about choosing a person to disciple that I trust will challenge you to become a discipling Christian.

1. Your own Family.

This should be quite obvious. As a husband and a father you are responsible to God to disciple your spouse and children. When Paul warns that a man that does not provide for his family is worse than an infidel, he wasn’t limiting that to physical provisions. Don’t neglect the spiritual growth of your own family thinking it is the job of the church.

Don’t neglect the spiritual growth of your own family thinking it is the job of the church.

2. Church Members

If you are as involved in your church as you should be, it should be easy to determine who needs encouragement and discipleship. Be sensitive to those around you. Go out of your way to speak with others you don’t know, all the while praying for the Spirit’s leading in how you could minister to them.

Regarding discipling fellow church members, I would advise restricting it to your own gender. There’s a reason the apostle Paul instructs the older women to teach the younger. In discipling others it’s wise for men to disciple men and women to disciple other women. I would also say that age is a factor. Normally, older men would disciple younger men, but that may not always be the case. It is an exercise in humility to be willing to learn from those of similar age or even younger.

3. Someone Different

The unity of people from different backgrounds, economic status, and personality types is a testimony to the power of the gospel. In discipleship we are naturally prone to seek out someone much like ourselves. I would encourage you to seek a person from a social, racial, or economic class different from your own. I can personally attest to the benefit of this through my first association with a brother of a different race. God opened my eyes to see things from a new perspective and gave me a greater appreciation of his grace in my own life.

The unity of people from different backgrounds, economic status, and personality types is a testimony to the power of the gospel.

I hope you will seriously begin to consider becoming a discipling Christian by proactively seeking someone that is a younger believer or struggling in some area of life. Pray and seek God’s guidance in this matter. And as you minister to others you will discover that your own faith is growing and your walk with Jesus becoming more meaningful.