Your people are at best, what you are.

Being a spiritual mentor in all of the Christian sense is something we should never take for granted. Do not expect your people to be growing and living in victory if your life is not right before the Lord. Very often, it is easy to cruise on complacency in your own walk with God since by virtue of the fact that you are a leader, you already know more than your people. Do not be fooled though by this temporary sense of self-reliance in discipling your people. Shallowness can only breed shallowness. A life of sin will only breed a life of sin.

That is a scary though isn't it? That who we are, our people will become. But that is a given since discipling involves pouring out of our lives into the lives of others. If you only have superficiality and selfishness to pour out, that is what is going to go into the lives of your members. Now, I'm sure you are thinking, "Ok lah, I'm still ok. I don't think I am that selfish or superficial." Well I urge you to reflect upon this again. Are you consistent in your walk with God? Do you spend time regularly in prayer and worship? Is your life a testimony of obedience and love before God?

I say this not suggesting that we become religious and ritualistic in our "practice of Christianity". Rather, we need to realise that we are but stewards of God's people. Meaning, we take care of them on HIS terms, not ours. When we get into a lifestyle of self-dependence and self-reliance in our discipling, we have become ineffective in our discipleship. This is a crucial yet often unvalued principle of discipleship. To quote my pastor, "Take care of the depth of your relationship with God, and He will take care of the breadth of your ministry."

I myself often find my mind going into "self-reliant" mode, whereby I see myself teaching and discipling by relying on my past experiences and expertise rather than on supernatural and spiritual inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I discovered it is very easy to do so, especially in times of busyness and stress where I conveniently "chuck God into a corner of my cupboard" so that I can "take Him out again" when I am freer. How foolish of me! How deceived I have become!

I have decided to post my daily devotions on this blog too. It is my way of creating a structure to ensure my time with God and also a way of helping myself be more intentional in my reflection and meditation on the word of God. And I know it will help me become a better disciple-maker. May you be blessed and inspired as you read them.