Disciple-Making DisciplesSample

Live surrendered to Jesus

Disciple-making disciples bring people to Jesus. And disciple-making disciples live surrendered to Jesus. Modeling our lives after His means that we have to let go of our way of thinking, believing, and living so that we can embrace His way of thinking, believing, and living. And that is not easy. In fact, it’s compared to death. Unless we die to ourselves, we will not be able to truly live for Him.

Honestly, this is hard to even wrap our minds around because we live in a culture of self-promotion and self-fulfillment. We are all about our goals and agenda and becoming who we are supposed to be. We aim for things like having a fulfilling career, satisfying relationships, and at least a decent view of ourselves. Those aren’t bad things, but when they become the most important thing, we miss it. Because, according to Jesus, being a disciple is wildly different from that.

If anyone wants to be my disciple, they must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will save it. Luke 9:23-24 NIV

There’s the invitation: “If anyone wants to be my disciple….”

And the first step? Deny yourself. Not fulfill yourself. It’s the exact opposite message from the one the culture is selling.

But what does that look like? It looks like surrendering our way of thinking, believing, and yes, our way of living life. We deny ourselves and trust God to fulfill us. We pick up our cross, His mission, not our agenda. And we follow Jesus, not our desires or our own definition of the “good life.”

Jesus invites us to practice this in how we pray. When He taught His disciples to pray, He opened with, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9 NIV

Your kingdom and Your will, not my brand or my preferred outcome.

Living a life that builds God’s Kingdom is what being a disciple-making disciple is all about. That’s the mission we have been invited to carry on, because that’s the movement that Jesus’ ministry started—bringing the Kingdom of heaven to earth.

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17 NIV

Disciple-making disciples bring people to Jesus and disciple-making disciples live surrendered to Jesus.

Challenge:Is there an area of your life that you have not surrendered to the will of God? What is it? What do you need to trust about God in order to surrender that to Him?

Pray and ask God to search your heart and help you discover the areas where you are not yet trusting Him. What would it look like to take a step to trust Him today? Share that with the friend or friends you are doing this Plan with.