5 REASONS WHY WE DON’T MAKE DISCIPLES – #1: “I DON’T HAVE TIME”

I’m excited to announce the release date for DiscipleSips: Leaving a Jesus Legacy One Latte at a Time is fast approaching! The paperback will be available on Amazon November 7th, and the Kindle version is available for pre-order even as we speak.  I  hope you’ll pick up a copy…not just because I wrote it, but because I strongly believe that relational discipleship is the cry of God’s heart for this generation! 

Click here to pre-order Kindle version of DiscipleSips!

To help whet your thirst for the topic, for the next few weeks I’ll be blogging about the 5 most common reasons Christian women don’t make disciples.

(even if they really want to…)

REASON #1

Most women fight a daily battle between making room for people and “getting things done.” Twenty-four hours a day never quite seems to stretch far enough! 

Like you, I face the daily pressure of do-everything-itis, and that nagging feeling of “not enough” is always nipping at my heels. So on top of all that, when someone says Hey, you need to make disciples, the first thought that leaps to mind is…

“I don’t have time!”

Yet the irony is, the only way to experience the kingdom this side of heaven is to slow our lives down long enough to “taste and see.”

There is no other way.

Making disciples involves spending intentional unhurried time with Jesus—and another believer—as you both learn directly from Him.

(come to think of it, that’s also the formula for being disciples)

Here’s a quote that pierces me to the heart…

“Love and hurry are fundamentally incompatible. Love always takes time, and time is the one thing hurried people don’t have.”

JOHN ORTBERG

Does that hit the mark or what?

We want to love people in Jesus’ name. We want to help younger believers build their lives on Him. We just can’t seem to slow down long enough to do it.

Yet here’s a radical thought.

If you’re a follower of Jesus…you don’t have time NOT to make disciples!

Let’s face it, life is short. And the biggest bang for your “time spent” buck is making disciples. One day we’ll stop punching this earthly time clock and come face to face with whether our life yielded eternal fruit in people’s lives—or it didn’t.  

 Believe me, I don’t say this as a guilt trip.

I say it as an incentive!

Because nothing else compares to watching a child of God come fully alive from the inside out…and knowing you got to be part of it!  As a blood-bought daughter of the King, you absolutely CAN leave a Jesus legacy.

YEAH…BUT HOW?

That’s a great question.

Practically speaking—with our seriously over-stuffed schedules, how in the world do we make room for making disciples?

Maybe it’s time to let God pare down your schedule?

We’re often convinced there’s no “wiggle room” in our current commitments. Yet if Jesus is calling you to make disciples, there MUST be a way, right?

First, ask Him to highlight your “non-negotiable” and “optional” commitments. 

Then ask yourself…

• Is there anything I could do less often to make room for inviting a younger believer to coffee? (i.e., monthly vs. weekly)
• Is there anything I only agreed to do out of obligation that I’d secretly love to have a reason to quit?
• If my schedule won’t budge, could I spend time with a younger believer whose schedule is similar to mine? (i.e., lunch or carpool with a co-worker, or talk with a fellow mom at the park while kids play, etc.)

A SIMPLE WAY TO START

A great way to make a big impact in a small amount of time is to start using the E3 Challenge app (see e3challenge.net). It lists 120 stories from Jesus’ life that can be easily read in 5-10 minutes. It also includes brief discussion questions for each Scripture story and a brief 20-minute podcast for the first 60 stories. You can easily share this app with a friend, and then (whenever you’re together) simply discuss how you each can apply it to your lives. Easy-peasy!

Yet the method isn’t nearly so important as making time—and showing up. I promise you, Jesus will be faithful to “show up” too.

Making disciples is part of your full-circle, blood-bought heritage in Christ. It enables you to encourage a younger believer in her growth in Christ and accelerate your own spiritual growth in the process. It’s a “two for the price of one” kind of blessing.

And all you have to do…is make room for making disciples!

COFFEE CHAT QUESTIONS 

• Which of the above ideas could you try this week?
• What other creative “making time” solutions has God given you?
• Where could you use some feedback or suggestions?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section…and let’s grow and learn together!