Over the past several decades, churches have developed a wide range of methods, programs, and curriculum for discipleship. If you walk into a church, you’re likely to find discipleship classes, discipleship books, maybe even an advertisement for a discipleship conference.
In many ways, this is a good thing. It is evident that we have prioritized the Great Commission in a local context. Churches should be intentional about spiritual growth. I believe we do well to celebrate every effort to help believers become mature followers of Christ.
Beyond the big programs, though, there are still some questions to ask: Who are you discipling? What is your plan?
When I first started asking people these questions, their responses were revealing. Some looked puzzled, as if the questions themselves were unusual. Others pointed to church attendance, Bible reading, or participation in a Sunday School class. Most were sincere believers who genuinely wanted to follow Christ. Very few could articulate a deliberate plan for spiritual growth.
Imagine asking someone if they hoped to improve their physical well-being. Most people would immediately understand the need for a plan. They’d walk you through their plan for exercise, nutrition, and sleep, or explain the specific goals they hope to achieve. They understand that health rarely improves by accident.
Why do we approach spiritual growth differently? We assume that because we attend church and occasionally open our Bibles, maturity will naturally develop over time.
Spiritual growth does not happen automatically.
Time alone does not produce maturity.
Intentional discipleship does.
The Difference Between Being a Christian and Growing as One
The New Testament consistently presents the Christian life as a process of transformation.
Paul writes that believers are being transformed into the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18). Peter exhorts Christians to add virtue to faith and to continue growing in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 1:5-7). The author of Hebrews rebukes believers who ought to be teachers but still require spiritual milk (Heb. 5:12-14).
Scripture assumes that Christians should be growing. It isn’t optional.
Yet growth isn’t inevitable either.
A tree planted beside a stream grows because it receives nourishment. A disciple grows through intentional exposure to God’s truth, committed obedience to God’s commands, faithful fellowship with God’s people, and dependence on God’s Spirit.
How silly is it that many believers desire maturity while neglecting the means God has provided to produce it?
A desire is not the same thing as a plan.
Why Programs Cannot Grow for You
Sometimes churches attempt to solve this problem through programs.
Sunday School classes, discipleship groups, Bible studies, conferences, and structured curriculum can be valuable tools. They’re certainly not the problem.
I believe issues arise when believers begin to outsource their spiritual growth.
While programs can organize discipleship, they cannot replace our responsibility. Your Sunday School teacher can explain Scripture to you, but he cannot do the work of praying on your behalf every morning. Your pastor can preach faithfully, but he cannot obey Christ for you. At some point, every believer must accept responsibility for their own spiritual formation.
Churches can (and should) help with that. Pastors can shepherd you, and mentors can encourage you, but no one can pursue Christ in your place.
At some point, every believer is called not only to be served, but to serve. If you’re stuck depending on others to serve you, how do you expect to disciple another person one day?
Building a Personal Discipleship Plan
Here are four questions to help you develop your personal discipleship plan.
• Where Am I Going? Every plan starts with a destination in mind. Spend time considering what kind of Christian you’d like to become. “Conformed to the image of Christ” is a great start, but you should push yourself to think practically about what that means. Do you need greater knowledge of Scripture? Do you need more consistency in your prayer life? Do you need encouragement in evangelism? Do you need help with self-control? Should you focus on building a stronger marriage or on being a more faithful steward of what God has given you?
Spiritual maturity becomes easier to pursue when we identify specific areas for growth.
• What Practices Will Help Me Get There? God has already given His people ordinary means for spiritual growth. We need not look beyond Scripture, prayer, worship, fellowship, service, evangelism, and giving to see our growth.
These tools may not seem exciting or new, but friend, they are effective. Hear my caution: don’t seek a spiritual breakthrough while neglecting the ordinary habits God has designed for us.
• Who Is Helping Me Grow? Don’t make the mistake of trying to figure things out on your own. Discipleship has always been relational. Christianity is not a solitary pursuit. Every believer needs mature voices to speak into their lives. Some of those relationships may develop formally, while others may develop naturally through friendships.
You need someone who has permission to challenge you. If no one comes to mind, your discipleship is incomplete.
• Who Am I Helping Grow? Don’t make the mistake of waiting to become a disciple-maker until you’re ready. The truth is, no one is ready. I believe one of the best things we can do for our personal spiritual growth is to place ourselves in a position of accountability to others. That doesn’t just happen when we’re being taught — it happens when we’re teaching, too.
If you’re willing to invest in someone else, all you need to do is share what you know. Study Scripture together. Pray together. Invite others into your life.
If you’ll be faithful to let God be the authority, you’ll do well.
The Long View of Spiritual Growth
I believe that waiting for a moment of dramatic transformation (either in our own life or in someone else’s) within a short period of time is the greatest mistake Christians can make.
The Christian life is more like cultivating a garden than constructing a building. Our growth often appears slow. Roots develop before anything appears on the surface. In the same way, many of the habits that shape a disciple seem insignificant in daily life. But over the course of a year and maybe even decades, those habits produce remarkable fruit.
The believer who spends 20 years reading Scripture, praying faithfully, serving the church, and investing in others becomes someone very different from the person who merely intends to grow.
Start Somewhere
Perhaps the most daunting obstacle to our spiritual growth is the belief that we must create the perfect plan before taking the first step. We do not.
Choose a book of the Bible to study. Establish a consistent prayer time. Ask a mature believer to meet with you regularly. Identify someone you can encourage in their walk with Christ. Start somewhere. Adjust along the way. On this side of eternity, we’ll never obtain perfection. Our goal is progress.
Every Christian is following some kind of discipleship path, whether intentional or accidental. Some drift wherever circumstances carry them. Others pursue growth deliberately. One path leads to stagnation. The other leads toward maturity in Christ. The choice is ours.
