Here are three questions all disciplers should (1) ask of themselves, (2) seek to understand and (3) practically apply before they come alongside anyone in a discipling, counseling or accountability relationship.
QUESTION #3: DO YOU KNOW WHO MY DAD IS?
I have been of the opinion for many years now that some Christians can easily forget the biblical call for encouragement and thinking the best about the person they serve and choose, rather, to be harsh or unkind.
I have also forgotten this simple, but imperative truth as I have tried to serve my friends in counseling. At times I have been harsh to my friends. This is unbiblical, uncaring and anti-Gospel. Bringing correction should never imply being unkind. I have failed this way many times.
And when I forget, I need to remember that Christ died on the Cross for that person I am now serving. And because Christ cared that much about them (to willfully be murdered) then that puts them in a special category of people and I want to be careful how I interact with them. They are God’s children. I need to be encouraging as I walk my erring brothers and sisters through sanctification challenges.
Imagine!
God executed his Son on a cruel Cross for you, me and the people we are serving. (I’m assuming the folks we serve through discipleship, counseling or accountability are brothers or sisters in Christ.) The infinite Father, killed the infinite Son to pay for an infinite crime against an infinite God. Only an infinite sacrifice could pay for an infinite crime, therefore my good works would never work because I’m a finite, tainted vessel, who could never please the infinite God by my dirty deeds.
Therefore, God did the impossible, the improbable and the overwhelmingly stunning. He made the ultimate sacrifice for me, you and the friends we serve. This makes our friends supremely special, not because of what they did, but because of what Christ did. And I need to be careful about how I think about them, talk about them and speak to them. They are children of the infinite God, who sent his Son to us and then executed Him for us.
In my weak humanness I can somewhat understand how special children are. As a father, I will quickly get on the case of anyone who thinks or acts unkindly toward my children. I sacrifice daily for my kids. I care for them. I love them. And it would be good for you to love them as well.
Tread carefully with my kids! Be even more mindful of God’s kids.
If you can successfully process and apply these three simple truths, then you will practically understand the Gospel for your life and be ready to hold your friend accountable.
