Disciple-making go juice

Making disciples is hard work. It’s supposed to be. Nudging people forward toward maturity in Christ is a battle of the heart, mind, schedule, and growing list of priorities in the lives of our people. Paul affirms this for us in his letter to the Colossians. "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (Colossians 1:28-29)

Proclamation, warning, and teaching contribute to the foundation of any good disciple-maker. Of course, we should take care to not miss the significance of the first word in these verses, namely “Him”. There are many things we could proclaim. But our preaching and teaching must be Christ-centered, boldly declaring the grace and power of the gospel.

What fuels this striving to bring people to maturity? What motivates and moves you to wake up in the morning and join with God in his agenda to transfer people into the kingdom of his Son and subsequently transform them into the image of Jesus?

Is it attaining a measure of human success in ministry? Fulfilling some unrealized dream? Satiating a need to appear spiritually significant to your Christian friends? I can tell you from personal experience that these sources of fuel will eventually burn up. And they’ll leave you even more exhausted than ever.

The real go juice of disciple-making in the inexhaustible energy and power of God. Paul recognized his deep need for an energy source that came from outside of himself. The go juice for making disciples comes from God. Dick Lucas affirms this idea in his commentary on Colossians:

"As Paul toiled (a particularly strong word, also used by him to describe his back-breaking manual work, tentmaking) in teaching with strenuous endeavor, God himself granted strength and capacity for the work. God gives his power to workers."

Making disciples is hard work. If you find yourself at the bottom of your fuel tank, be reminded that God is faithful to supply the energy we need to press forward in this task. As we work, God provides disciple-making go juice. To God be the glory for the initiating and sustaining strength he provides to those who labor in making disciples of he Lord Jesus.