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Date: 2009-06-11 11:41:13
Title: Commonsense Guidelines
Commonsense Guidelines
By Rick Ives
When discipling another person, it is always best to use common sense in conjunction with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
I remember once when a wonderful Christian couple, who loved the Lord, was discipling someone new to the couple’s church. Towards the end of the session, the couple (seeing that the disciple needed a job and financial help) mentioned that they were involved in a certain multi-level marketing organization and told the disciple to maybe check it out. That was it! The disciple was indignant, feeling now the whole goal of the discipling couple was just to recruit the disciple into a marketing scheme. The lesson we learn is simple – the discipler must not seek any personal gain from the discipling relationship (and do nothing that could even look like it).
Satan is clever, and he will try to pervert, twist, and distort anything we do to cause the disciple to fall away. Each of us needs to be a good example to the disciple, practice what we are teaching to the disciple, and be a servant.
Remember, a discipler is not supposed to be a professional counselor. If this were the case, almost no one could be a discipler. If during your time of discipleship you sense that the person has issues beyond your ability to help, please refer that person appropriately. You can contact your pastor and ask that a referral be made to a good counselor as needed.
And always remember, your disciple’s problems belong to your disciple, not to you. You are in the relationship to disciple, to pray, to encourage, but not to take responsibility for someone else’s problems and sins. Be an example, be a friend, be a discipler – and you will help change the world, one person at a time.
Read more about Commonsense Guidelines on pages 144-148 in the book Swimming Lessons: How to keep Christians afloat in a sinking world
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