Follow Me - Devotional on DiscipleshipSample

DISCIPLESHIP OR FOLLOWERSHIP?

When social media exploded about a decade ago, "followership" quickly became a part of many of our lives. Celebrities, Christian leaders, meme creators and self-help professionals have earned our following on these platforms. But what is the difference between being a follower and being a disciple of someone? The key difference can be summed up in one word: Relationship.

In John 15, Jesus refers to Himself as the True Vine. When we abide in Him like branches abide in a vine, we will bear good fruit in our lives. Good fruit isn’t materialistic blessings, but rather evidence of character transformation, the fruits of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to become more like Christ. In essence, to be a disciple of Christ requires us to be in relationship with Him, and likewise, to be discipled by a mentor or friend requires us to be in relationship with them.

Why is this important? Because unless we are in a discipleship based relationship with someone (whether with God or with a mentor we trust), we can remain oblivious to the blind-spots that hinder us. Following a Christian leader on social media can be great, and we can certainly learn a lot of information that can aid our growth, but because there is no personal relationship involved, the blind-spots in our lives remain hidden to us. This is followership. However, when we engage in an honest relationship with a mentor we trust, they are able to see us for who we are and guide us in revealing the blind-spots that we need to work on in our lives, so that we can bear good, lasting fruit. This is discipleship.

The fact of the matter is that discipleship is about doing life together. The disciples in the Gospels lived all facets of life with Christ and we’re required to do the same with Him and those around us. Let us abide in Him and abide in each other so that we can all bear lasting fruit!

DAY FIVE ACTION POINT - Learning is an ongoing process; therefore, it’s important that we always have someone in our lives who can disciple us. Is there someone in your life right now who is discipling you? If not, have a think of who you can reach out to so you can begin the discipleship process.

PRAYER - Lord, I thank You for the gift of knowledge and wisdom. As David prayed for You to search his heart for anything unclean, I pray that You would search my heart also. Surround me Lord with good people who can input into my life and reveal to me the truth in love by the power of Your grace. Help me to bear fruit that lasts and is pleasing in Your sight. Amen.