Discipling: The Ultimate Team-Building Experience
Part 1 in a Series
Discipling is More than just Sharing the Good News
You’ve heard the expression “a company’s greatest asset is its people.” If that’s true, why are people so often shortchanged as organizations push for profits and prestige?
In fact, people are invaluable to organizations. Unfortunately, when you look back over you career, probably just a handful of colleagues cared enough to invest significantly in your development. On the other hand, remember the blessing of that rare manager, or colleague, who cared about your development at work. Exhibiting selflessness and generosity, these people gave the best of themselves to grow the best in others.
They exhibited the qualities found in Matthew 28:19, the Great Commission, to “make disciples of all nations.” Discipling is much more than just sharing the Good News, or coming to Christ. It’s sharing God’s truth AND strengthening its application.
Living out the Great Commission at Work
Discipling is not just relevant at church, or on the weekends. It’s relevant anywhere and anytime that God gives us an opportunity. This includes the workplaces where we spend 20, 40 or even 60 hours every week.
At Work on Purpose® understands the need for a practical approach to live out the Great Commission at work. That’s why we’ve created a model called THE POWER PROFILE® to help workplace Christians fulfill The Great Commission and The Great Commandment.
The Great Commission: to make disciples.
The Great Commandment: to love God and to love others.
THE POWER PROFILE focuses us on four key things:
- Purpose: determining God’s purpose for our work
- Pursuit: pursuing our work purpose to God’s standards
- People: growing people as we go – professionally and personally
- Prosperity: stewarding the prosperity that God grants us through work
How do we bring professional and personal development to work by sharing wisdom, which is ultimately the Gospel? Most of the work world isn’t Christian. It’s filled with spiritual seekers who are unconvinced, spiritual sleepers who are unaware and spiritual snipers who are uncomfortable. Even worse, we Christians typically behave no differently at work than our non-Christian colleagues.
The bottom line? We’re created in God’s image, and we have great value to Him. Yet, we fall short of God’s glory, as we struggle to grow closer to Him.
The Process of Discipling
Discipling is the patient process of polishing diamonds in the rough; polishing each other toward spiritual maturity.
- Discipling takes time. We may take two steps forward and one step back.
- Discipling takes method. It works best when it’s life-on-life, long term, and Biblically based.
- Discipling takes acceptance. We need to accept that, because of our imperfection, our discipling experiences will be imperfect.
Perhaps no disciple in history better illustrates this challenge than the apostle Peter. He was our quintessential diamond in the rough, with many jagged edges. Like all of us, Peter fell far short of God’s glory. Yet, through Christ, he radiated God’s glory!
The Peter Principle and Paradox
It’s from the disciple Peter that we have the work world concept of The Peter Principle: people rise to their level of incompetence. However, the Bible reveals something far more hopeful. Through Christ, Peter grew from an erratic disciple to an exemplary apostle. The Peter Paradox: people can rise beyond their level of incompetence.
Peter and Jesus modeled the process of discipling, which is as relevant today – even at work – as it was over 2,000 years ago. Peter and Jesus demonstrated discipling results in spiritual growth. A discipled person grows in Christ, and then invests in others to do the same.
Part 2: Coaching: The Ultimate Discipling