Christ made his call clear. To fulfill the Great Commission, we must go and make disciples. While the what is clear, the how can be difficult to understand and intimidating to initiate. As a disciple of Christ matures in his faith, how does he begin to multiply himself and invest in making other disciples? How will she know if she is on track as she continues to pour herself into others?
If any person wants to develop and grow, it would be wise to have a target in view, as well as some milestone markers along the way to ensure he is on the right path. Individuals have goals. Organizations have five-year plans to reach a defined vision. In a similar fashion, Jim Putman and Bobby Harrington have identified 4 stages of discipleship in their book, DiscipleShift, in an effort to provide these milestones that point the way to spiritual maturity.
These stages mimic the growth of a person from child to adulthood, which are:
- Infant
- Child
- Young Adult
- Parent
It is important to note, however, that spiritual growth is not advanced by time like a child is ushered into adulthood by merely growing older. Spiritual growth from one stage to the next is dependent on the person’s dedication and desire to grow and advance.
INFANT
An infant disciple, like a literal infant consuming milk, must be fed the basics of the Christian faith. Once spiritually dead, they have accepted Jesus as their Savior and God has raised them to spiritual life. Now that their eyes have been opened, they are seeing and understanding all the Bible has to offer for the first time. Everything is gloriously new. Paul speaks to the Corinthians in this way when he says:
“But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it” 1 Cor. 3:1-2
The questions of infants will likely be quite broad, due to their unawareness of biblical truths, so they will need constant care, attention, and instruction.
CHILD
A child-like disciple will have grasped the basics of the Christian faith. Their knowledge base is expanding as they learn more about the Bible and interact with other believers, but a take-tale sign that a person is in this stage is self-centeredness. Because their spiritual maturity is still lacking, they will be inclined to always take and not give back. Like a typical child, they can be prone to having tunnel vision, overly confident in a bad way), or being led by negative emotions like timidity or insecurity. The hyper-focus on their own state of mind and/or needs will usually lead to a selfish mode of thinking, being concerned only for how they feel or are being affected. This is not intended to be dis on the person. It is just another milestone and realization, so that a more mature believer can help them through this stage.
YOUNG ADULT
This stage begins to show the fruit of persistence. The disciples who transition into the young adult stage are characterized by an apparent transition from their child-like selfishness to a selfless desire to honor God through their actions. The young adult will take their compounded knowledge and zeal and carry them into service. They have understood the core of the gospel to be Christ-like and to go and do for others as Christ has done for them. This is the stage where the disciple takes steps to become missional and become a value-add to those around him or her.
PARENT
The fifth and final stage is much like the young adult stage but has been taken a step further in that they start to mentor other disciples like a father or mother cares for a child. They are now mature enough to instruct others. As God is our father and teaches us daily, so the parent will take other disciples under their wing and teach them in a more intimate setting, living life together, as Jesus modeled in the gospels.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It is also important to realize that as each person matures as a disciple, they will mature at differing rates within the different relationships they hold. There are relationships built with family members, with believers in the church community, with non-believers, and with God himself. Having a firm, abiding relationship with God is the lynchpin, the glue that bonds every other relationship together and if this relationship is not correct, it will negatively affect all other relationships.
As, as a final thought, there are many areas in which a disciple matures as they follow Jesus. As a child matures into a responsible adult, so a follower of Christ grows from an infantile state into a caring parent-like disciple, who desires to help others grow in their faith. This happens over the course of one’s entire lifetime, however, it can grow at different intervals within the varying relationships the disciple carries. Above all, it is clear that in order to truly be considered a follower of Jesus Christ, one must give their complete and undivided allegiance to him. That was Jesus’ call and our great pleasure to live out.
Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below!
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