English Disciple Testimony > 제자학교

When we hear the word “discipleship” it can often feel like a burden: an obligation and a chore. But when we truly know God personally, we come to realize that a call to discipleship is an invitation into the greatest and most “exclusive club.”  It’s not exclusive because God is picky or unwelcoming. It’s exclusive because not many will respond to the invitation. We are being called to know him more, to walk in the fullness of the life He created and redeemed us for as now adopted children of God. To live out all the privileges that come with being a Kingdom citizen.

The same is true of the church. To someone who does not really know the heart of God, church can feel like a burden: an institution. For me, after getting to know God more, I know it’s one of His greatest gifts next to salvation itself. God knows our weaknesses. He knows we cannot run this race alone, so He graciously gives us a body of believers to walk alongside us. It may not always be pleasant as we are being refined and challenged in the process. 

This is what this class became for me. Our class was unique in that everyone was in ministry or in official leadership roles at church. Getting involved at church was not an issue. Yet, we got to witness how weak each of us could be in our personal walk with God and how much we needed one another and this class to stay faithful. The disciplines that were enforced may have felt like arduous work, but we knew how much we needed them. We may all be “successful" in our work life, personal life and even church life but we all knew how desperately we needed God’s word daily for spiritual survival and the accountability this class brought. Despite our failures, we continued pressing forward.

Even our leader, a great teacher with a passion for and a wealth of knowledge of the Word, was also a dear brother who needed encouragement and prayer from us at times and was not afraid to be vulnerable.

 

This is the beauty of the church and specifically discipleship: following Jesus together. I got to experience this firsthand during the 8 months we were together. What a privilege it has been to stand together among a cloud of witnesses, as we are still being sanctified through Christ. God has given each of us many gifts, yet we did not (could not) mask our failures. We laughed together at our exposed frailty and clung to God even more.

 

God knows us. And as we grow to know Him more, we begin to understand that when He asks something of us, it is because He desires to make room for greater things He has been waiting to reveal and bestow upon us. I cannot say that I have absolutely no fear about what God may ask of me as His disciple. However, this is the journey I am on, and I believe that He is continually refining and molding me to be ready in and out of season. Whatever He calls me to do, I will be ready in His time, and my heart will already be there if i remain in Him.