The election is past, and grumpiness is not an option. On this Veteran’s Day, looking forward…
What does BE have to do with Discipleship?
Discipleship starts with the character of the Disciple, Your character. In our tough days and the tougher ones ahead, in order to disciple others, you must first make sure your house is in order. Discipleship begins with what the Disciple must BE, the values and attributes that shape a disciple’s character. It may be helpful to think of these as internal qualities, you possess them all the time, when you’re alone and when you are with others. They define who you are and give you a solid footing. What values do you look for and admire in a Disciple? They define a disciple as someone you would willingly follow. Across two decades in the Army and another two in the IT industry that includes time at Microsoft, I returned to the Army leadership manual, FM 22-100. This manual lays out four attributes of leadership that apply powerfully to Discipleship.
Disciples must BE:
· Honest
Intimacy with God begins in honesty with ourselves. He already knows our hearts, so the first step is in our own hearts as He woes us to Himself.
In Joshua 1, Joshua is having a tough day. Moses is gone, several million Israelites are wondering what kind of leader is replacing Moses, and militarily, Joshua knows that Israel is substantially outnumbered.
Job 31:6 Let me be weighed on honest scales, That God may know my integrity.
· Competent
God is the ultimate competent One. As we move toward intimacy with God, we discover His image in us and embrace His competence, becoming more competent in our lives.
Deu 1:13 ‘Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.' (emphasis mine)
The word ‘competent’ is the same word in Hebrew – bene – and also means wise and knowledgeable. Joshua has walked in the wilderness forty years, spied out the land, and knows the task will be more than he can handle alone but understands he is not ALONE.
· Forward-Looking
The word, ‘Why’ is Forward Looking as it aims at defining the mission. Taking out the trash has an excellent ‘Why’ reason but is not a forward-looking mission. On the other hand, embracing the mission of becoming a disciple in order to make disciples is the ultimate forward-looking mission that Jesus gave us:
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Mat 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mat 28:20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Joshua’s Mission – take the promised Land. His offensive was brilliant, leading a substantially outnumbered people to victory.
John 16:19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'?
· Inspiring
From these first three, we discover purpose in our lives. As we walk the Disciple trail, we will inspire others to follow, becoming disciples, as our purpose in Christ fills our mission.
Deu 3:28 ‘But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.'
Joshua knew their purpose was to fulfill God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. He was not just a leader but was also an inspiring leader... Encouraged by the Lord.
Think of yourself. Would you want to follow or be a disciple who did not radiate these qualities? David Pottruck, CEO of Charles Schwab says, “Virtually everyone I’ve ever met wanted to work with people of impeccable character.” [1]
In future posts, we will apply this to real life. Think on the first of 3 words from Joshua 1, BE, as we walk into Discipleship.
Jay - up in the glorious (but cold) Colorado mountains at Worshipper Warrior Advance. Thank you to all the Veterans past and present. Praying for y’all.
[1] Kouzes & Posner, The Leadership Challenge, 3rd ed. (San Francisco: Josey-Bass 2002) p. 1-14