Healthy Disciples

Pastor Gary Oser

Lately, I have been sharing with you about disciples—people “learning Jesus” who are devoted and growing followers of Jesus Christ. This month I will share the last few identifying marks of disciples.

Photo by Arnel Hasanovic | Unsplash

  1. Spiritual Disciplines - First, disciples practice spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines could be described as habits of devotion or behaviors which help to form Christian character. The familiar ones are prayer and Bible study. However, could I suggest a few others which are important as well?

    Confession of sin - acknowledging sin and asking God’s forgiveness.

    Worship - focusing on and responding to God; both regular private and public worship are important to spiritual health.

    Evangelism - sharing the Gospel (the good news about Jesus) and witnessing to others (sharing your story).

    Personal times of silence - being quiet and still before God. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

  2. Servanthood - Second, disciples exhibit servanthood. We live in a world where people want to be served. Jesus said in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (NASB).

    If we are going to be like Jesus, we need to follow His example of gladly serving others rather than expecting to be served. In his book Becoming a Healthy Disciple, Stephen Machida explains servanthood well; he says, “In essence, it’s learning the process of self-emptying—letting go of our agendas and embracing the concerns of those around us.”

Photo by Kate Remmer | Unsplash

3. Eager to Give - Finally, a healthy disciple honors God with his/her money. A healthy disciple understands that we s/he has is not her/his own, but rather a sacred trust given by God to manage. Therefore, a healthy disciple is not tightfisted or miserly, but as 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “a cheerful (hilarious) giver” sharing his/her resources to get the good news of the Gospel out and to help others.

How are you doing? What steps do you need to take to become a better follower of the Lord Jesus Christ?