Every time you interact with someone you leave a mark. Have you considered what that mark is?
In this maturation process we discover that disciples of Jesus are vital for the health and existence of the church. Jesus very command for His disciples was to make disciples. But like many of you, that leaves the question, “How do I/we make disciples?”
“How do I/we make disciples?”
The process of making disciples requires an acknowledgement of Jesus promise, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) If this promise were not vital there is no reason Jesus would have committed to it. It is this very promise that makes the creation of other disciples possible. But is it only my individual task in making disciples?
So how do you make disciples? Answer: By submitting to the changes Jesus is making inside of you as He develops you into a vessel for Him to live His resurrected life through.
No longer is an act of “kindness” just a nice thing. It is Jesus empowering you to discern how to express His love and character though you. You don’t have to seek out a “project person” to “work on.” The power of Christ brings to life your actions in such a way that you do more than your best intention could ever accomplish.
Disciples, learn how to discern this power at work within them and relinquish power to control who this love and kindness is expressed.
You will eventually see that there are people seeing Jesus in you and seeking you out to learn where this “difference” they experience. In essence you blaze a trail of marks impressed with Jesus character.
The Mark We Leave
Each time one of us that profess Jesus as Master, Lord and Savior leave an impression on people we meet. This is true of all humans, so it applies to people in Jesus church also. The impression we leave may be perceived in many different ways. Those perceptions are largely out of our control. We cannot dictate how someone will feel about the impression we make upon them. However, we can be intentional on what that mark is. We can become more intentional in leaving the impression of Jesus living through us upon others. This is done by our submitting to Jesus transforming us more and more into His image through the instruction of the Scriptures and our submission to following the Holy Spirit as He guides us into acting upon them.
Being a clone isn’t popular in this “iWorld”
In the maturation process of a student/apprentice disciple we are transformed into the image of the teacher. The very decision to submit as a disciple to a teacher is a decision to become like the image of that teacher. So, in fact, we that decide to follow Jesus are becoming “clones” of Jesus Himself through the work of Holy Spirit inside of us. As we grow to understand this as the relationship we are in with Jesus, as His disciple, it becomes a reality that the mark we leave behind should be the same type of mark that Jesus Himself would leave upon the people we interact.
But…being a clone doesn’t mean you aren’t distinct!
Being a clone of Jesus doesn’t mean you become mundane. The new life Jesus has given you has been gifted and designed to be distinct. For more information on this I encourage you to do some reading in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31.
Will you leave the mark of someone looking after your own interests or will you decide to leave the mark of Jesus working in you to impress His love and character upon the people you meet?