Six Hindrances to Becoming a Disciplemaker
In
a parable in Matthew 7, Jesus Christ told of a house built upon a weak,
sandy foundation and one that was built upon a solid rock foundation.
When the rains came, the former crashed to the ground while the latter
stood fast.
Just as a firm foundation is vital for the survival
of a building, so a good foundation is necessary for the building of
spiritual generations of men and women.
The apostle Peter says,
"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God
and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into
a spiritual house . . . " (1 Peter 2:4,5). Just as Christ is the chief
cornerstone of our faith, we can be the foundation stones for many
spiritual generations.
In The Navigators, we speak of
spiritual multiplication. This is a process where one individual comes
to a personal knowledge and relationship with God through Jesus Christ,
matures in the Word and in obedience to God, and begins to share with
others the Gospel message. As another person receives the Good News, he
or she becomes a mature believer and, in turn, tells another of new
life in Christ. A chain of spiritual generations has begun.
We all can be the founding "parent" of many spiritual generations. Your life has an incalculable potential for Jesus Christ.
But
this is only potential, and potential is not always realized. There are
several things that can hinder you from being the kind of strong
foundation necessary upon which to build spiritual generations.
1.
Laziness. Ezekiel 16:49 says, "Behold this was the guilt of your sister
Sodom; she and her daughters had pride, surfeit of food, and prosperous
ease, but did not aid the poor and needy." This is in the RSV, and
another translation says that Sodom had an "abundance of idleness."
Both
phrases mean the same thing: laziness. And a lazy Christian will never
be used by the Spirit of God to be the foundation for spiritual
generations.
There are not threats to lazy believers in the
Scriptures, only promises. For example, Proverbs 10:4 says, "Lazy hands
make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth." That is not a
threat, but a promise of something that will occur. You will be poor,
spiritually and materially, when you are lazy and half-hearted.
Another
verse says, "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of
the diligent are fully satisfied" (Proverbs 13:4). The Christian who is
lazy has many desires but can never satisfy them. In contrast, however,
the verse goes on to say, "the desires of the diligent are fully
satisfied."
King Solomon advises, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
2.
Busyness. Individuals can often create the illusion of great
accomplishments by appearing to be continually busy. But if you analyze
their activities, you may realize that the significance and value of
their busyness is minor.
In 1 Kings 20, we read a story about a
guard who was assigned watch over a prisoner. That was his sole
responsibility: to keep the prisoner under his guard and to prevent him
from escaping. However, the prisoner did escape. When the soldier was
questioned about this, he replied, "While your servant was busy here
and there, the man [the prisoner] disappeared" (1 Kings 20:40).
How
often are we busy "here and there"? Sadly, it could be that we're too
busy to realize that all our activities really mean very little in
terms of eternity and the Great Commission.
3. Prayerlessness.
How many problems in our lives can be traced to our neglect of prayer?
In Luke 5, we read that the multitudes were surrounding Jesus so that
He might heal them of their infirmities. In fact, the pressure of the
crowds became so great that Jesus withdrew from them and went alone
into the wilderness. His purpose: to pray to the Father.
When we are pressured, what is our response? Pressure should result in prayer. And prayer results in power from God.
4.
Shortsightedness. Hebrews 12 tells of one who was shortsighted. "See
that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a
single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward,
as you know, when he wanted to inherit his blessing, he was rejected.
He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing
with tears" (Hebrews 12:16,17).
Esau was the founder of the "Now
Generation." He decided for now. He sought immediate gratification. He
acted without considering the future or the consequences of his acts.
As
believers, we too have a birthright. Our birthright is the privilege of
being the foundation of many generations of Christians. But we can also
sell that, just as Esau sold his birthright, by deciding to live for
the moment.
Without patience and consideration of the future, we
can say, "I'd rather have my own way now. I don't want to wait." God
will not stop you, but you will later regret your decision as Esau
regretted his. You can only say then, "If only . . . " Bitterness,
remorse, and regret are the consequences of shortsightedness.
5.
Indecisiveness. In 1 Kings 18:21, we see Elijah on the mount,
surrounded by the prophets of Baal and the people of Israel. "Elijah
went before the people and said, 'How long will you waver between two
opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow
him.' But the people said nothing." The Israelis were uncommitted. They
were indecisive.
Jesus Christ will not let you be indecisive.
"No man can serve two masters," He says (Matthew 6:24). Everyone is a
servant, but the question is, whom do you serve?
6. Unconfessed
Sin. As we read the account of Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis or
of Achan in Joshua 7, we find that sin is a process: I see, I covet, I
take, and I hide.
Sin begins with your eyes, either your
physical eyes or the eye of the imagination. Then it works into your
minds and we begin to desire and covet. Our attitudes soon transmit
themselves into actions and we commit sin. Finally, we try to hide our
transgression.
The power of temptation lies in its
reasonableness, but the price of yielding to temptation is great. It
can disqualify us from our part as spiritual foundations. 1 John 1:9,
however, gives us the remedy for sin in our lives. It says, "If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness."
The artist, the
musician, or writer—capable of creating beauty through colors, music,
or words—who is hindered from achieving his potential, is often a sad
and tragic figure. But even more tragic is the Christian who is
hindered from his or her potential as a parent of generations of
believers.
Laziness, busyness, prayerlessness, shortsightedness,
indecisiveness, and unconfessed sin can all be hindrances to the
Christian. And yet, this need not be so, for God has provided power to
overcome these barriers. As we seek His power, we can work toward
fulfilling Jesus' commission of making disciples of all nations and
becoming the foundation of generations of men and women.
Skip Gray is a former state director for The Navigators. This article first appeared in NavLog, January 1978.
