What do you think of when you hear the word discipleship? A lot of us might look at Jesus’ command in Matthew 28 to “go and make disciples of all nations” and we nod our heads.
Did God have me in mind when he commanded His followers to disciple?
But, when you get down to it, the actual “going and making disciples” part can feel intimidating, insurmountable, or simply confusing. Even though you want to and in fact are designed to disciple others, it’s easy to let confusion and lack of information hold you hostage.
You might think of Titus 2:3-5 when it comes to the idea of discipling women:
Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. NLT
You are probably old enough to disciple another woman.
But what does it really mean to be an older woman? During the time of Jesus, the average life span of a woman was thirty-four years. So, then, who might be considered “older women” today? Every woman, no matter what her age, who is just barely a step ahead of another woman in her walk with Christ is an “older” woman and has the raw material to help another grow. Chances are that describes you! Know that God as already given you everything you need as you step into this art of discipling another woman.
Let us not forget that making disciples is God’s idea! We are being responsive to His command and will be completely supported and empowered by Him.
Prayer for the Discipler
Pray that as you disciple, you will see the hand of God on the relationships He gives you. May He be glorified in your heart and the hearts of those you disciple, and may those you help discover the joyous call to also go and disciple others!
Dive deeper by reading The Gentle Art of Discipling Women by Dana Yeakley.
Great post, thanks for sharing.