Disciplined Discipleship

God is never in a hurry. He is never late and He is never early. We may think He sits in Heaven and makes us wait, but all time is given by the Divine Magistrate.

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:5-6

Natural abilities, like natural plants, need pruning.

Even though the Garden of Eden was very good when God created it (Genesis 1:31), He still put mankind in the garden to serve and preserve—or prune—it (Genesis 2:15). Growth and pruning are not a result of the fall. Growing in godliness is something we begin now and continue into eternity without ever reaching an end. Growth is a good thing by itself; it is not an antidote for sin.

Discipleship can’t be rushed.

The adage of “measure twice, cut once” comes to mind as we think about the pruning process of discipleship. The “take up your cross daily” movement of discipleship should not be a drudgery, but a life giving rhythm. The process of discipleship helps us avoid cutting off fruitful processes and continue nourishing fruitless endeavors.

Discipleship without discipline doesn’t last.

Discipleship is not a sprint but a life-long marathon. If we approach discipleship as a rabbit running a race, we won’t get very far even though it feels like we are making leaps and bounds at a time. The measured pace of the tortoise builds a pattern that can be sustained and will sustain us.