Today I am thinking about Mark 28:19. It says “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father…” What strikes me as I am pondering this scripture for the millionth time is that He tells us to MAKE disciples. So many times as Christians we try to find disciples. We invite someone from work or school to church and if they don’t fit into our church “mold” then we go try to find one who will. But we are missing the point. Non Christians don’t fit into our Christian box. Many times they are uncouth, unreligious and unconventional. But that’s ok.
In Matthew 4:18-19 Jesus says to his future disciples “Come and follow me. And I will make you fishers of men.” They didn’t have to do anything to come. Jesus didn’t ask them to change clothes, cut their hair or change the way they talked he simply called them as they were that moment.
Making a disciple, like making anything great, takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight, it doesn’t happen because you brought them to an illustrated sermon one night, and it doesn’t happen because you handed them a touch card at school one day. It is a long process that takes time and energy. You have to keep reaching out to “The One” over and over and over until they become who God wants them to be. Think back to who reached out to you and discipled you, someone who didn’t let you go just because you didn’t want to come to church anymore. They didn’t give up on you. Now is your chance to be that for someone else. They desperately need you, even if they don’t know it. Don’t let go of them.
