When I think back on my life before discipleship I was insecure, emotional, over-reactive to those said emotions, and therefore, lacked composure. It is so embarrassing to think back to those days. Especially when I was guilty of saying things I shouldn't. Even though I was a believer, I didn't understand how to live as one or the necessity of it.
Believing in Jesus Christ is the foundation by which Christians live. Once we understand that by believing in the power of the gospel we are saved, we are forever changed! I do not want to gloss over the power the gospel had in my life, but I stayed there for many years. I was a stagnant Christian and that is a dangerous position to be in.
It wasn't until the year before Brielle was born, a little over five years ago, that I began a discipleship relationship with Deb Evertson. She began teaching me how to study God's Word. This one-on-one time learning about Jesus through His Word was effective because that's what He commanded us to do:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20
I began to change. God was using His Word, taught by an amazing teacher, to draw me closer to Him.
I believe in discipleship because women must teach other women what it means to glorify God by loving their husband, loving their children, how to live a pure, self-controlled life, upholding the Word of God in our lives so that we do not sway when the storms hit. I am the exact opposite of that pre-discipleship person because of the time spent on how to study the Bible, which taught me to rest in Christ, which in turn helped me to remain composed in turmoil, giving me an eternal perspective, glorifying Him for His amazing works, praying, searching His Word for truth... focused on HIM alone. Because of discipleship I have accountability and a deep and abiding friendship centered on Christ. I want to pass it on to others, so they pass it on to others, who pass it on to others, until the day of His return.
When I view my life through the pre-discipleship lens I thank God for blessing me with that first discipleship relationship, which has now blossomed into four others! I am not who I once was because He brought this amazing woman into my life to teach me His Word.
I encourage you to do the same. Find a woman that embodies the qualities listed in Titus 2:3-5 and ask her to teach you. You will learn so much about what it means to be a woman of God and you will be forever changed as He draws you closer to Him.
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