The Bar of Discipleship

 

There’s a cost to giving up your own way to wholeheartedly follow Jesus and do things His way. To make it is to adopt a life of discipline which involves consistency in faithfulness to Jesus and your call to follow Him.

The bar of discipleship may be high but is certainly not unattainable. Those first disciples whom Jesus called weren’t men of noble character but were men willing to set aside their way of life to heed the call.

To Peter, Andrew, James and John Jesus beckoned, “Come, follow me” and without hesitation they left their nets and their boat (ref. Matthew 4:18-22).

Jesus was particular in His choosing but not discriminatory. He eventually chose twelve men from varying walks of life and financial status – from fishermen to tax collectors – who were willing to embrace a new life. It is not an easy road to travel, but you must be willing to go the distance.

Jesus poured Himself into these twelve for three years, that was His process of discipleship which has never changed; He is still pouring Himself into others.

After Jesus pours Himself into you, you then are expected to do the same thing, however, before you can make disciples of others Jesus must become the force that empowers you. If He isn’t then you’ll be making followers of you and not followers of Jesus.

Discipleship is based upon a foundational relationship with Jesus that you must live daily.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul gave him the same method Jesus used for making disciples,

What you have heard me teach publicly you should teach to others. Share these teachings with people you can trust. Then they will be able to teach others these same things. (2 Timothy 2:2 ERV)

Beloved, every believer is called to be a disciple but not every believer is willing to commit to that role, so our churches are filled with a membership exuding lifeless obligation to brick and mortar.

The thought of leaving your loved ones, your career and all that’s familiar seems not the loveliest of prospects but Jesus promises that everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, or farms to follow me will get much more than they left. And they will have eternal life (Matthew 19:29 ERV).

As a disciple, committed to your brothers and sisters in Christ, you’ll contribute to the Body of Christ in a meaningful way, and you’ll be someone they can count on.

As a disciple, helping to enforce the beauty of kingdom living, you’ll not only show up and out with good news but with behaviour that demonstrates the character of Jesus and His Kingdom.

Discipleship is about walking persons toward Jesus, persons whose lives may be in shambles or have no faith in anyone or find it difficult to trust or may have heard the whole spiel before and have remained in a life of nothing but hardship or trusted once and were terribly hurt by people in church.

Yes, the bar of discipleship seems a tall order but you’re not in this alone, you are His disciple with His Spirit inside you to guide you. Your job is to point people to a God who loves them.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “The Bar of Discipleship” ©2026 February 26, 2026