There are many obstacles which can make disciple-making more challenging. I want to share three potentially crippling obstacles. Are you dealing with any of these?
Three Obstacles
- Poor choices. Two thoughts came to mind. They were busyness and lack of priorities, but the issue is really what we do with our busyness and time. If we make no choices, disciple-making will be crowded out with other issues demanding our time.
- Stale relationship with God. A marriage flounders without regular, meaningful two-way communication. Without regular conversation with God through Bible study and prayer, we become distant from God. We allow other voices to dominate our awareness and decisions. Sin creeps in. As a result, His love fails to direct our interactions and disciple-making.
- Indifference. We don’t care. We don’t care that Jesus commanded disciple-making. And we don’t care about the impact of the lack of disciple-making. We don’t care about other people because we don’t care about God. This obstacle impacts everything the church and Christians do (or don’t do).
Responses
Let me paint a bleak picture of the consequences. If we continue to ignore the impact of these obstacles, the lost will not accept Jesus. The saved will not mature. Leaders will not be developed. The church will decline. The impact on culture will wane.
But revival is possible through prayerful intentionality. Seek encouragement to keep your own relationship with God fresh. Schedule and protect it. Demonstrate your love for Him by sharing that love with disciples. Schedule and protect sessions. Pray about your daily decisions, priorities, and busyness. Ask God to lead.
What other disciple-making obstacles have you faced or addressed? What other responses to these three obstacles would you add? Share your thoughts so others can benefit. Be a disciple. Make disciples!
Photo by Marvin Esteve on Unsplash
