Perspective on Discipleship

     For those who are actually God's children- "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- discipleship is the adult version of godly child-rearing. Godly parents are commanded to bring up their children in the "discipline and instruction of the Lord." ( Ephesians 6:4 ESV) Why? In the case of both children and adults we are to be trained to fulfill the two specific purposes for which we as humans were created; i.e. to be like God (made in His image), and to become a kingdom. (Genesis 1:26-28), and the overall purpose of glorifying God for which everything was created.
     Hebrews 12 draws out the parallel. "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline. If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate  children and not sons. Besides this, we have earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we might share his holiness." (Hebrews 12:6-10) Do you see the parallel between childrearing and discipleship?
     God provides parents to teach and train us. Ideally, in the case of genuinely Christian parents, they are preparing us to have the best possible personal relationship with Christ that we can have. Most of us do not have Christian parents who understand this, and no one has perfect parents. In all cases God wants to provide us with those who will disciple us, pouring their lives into ours to help us become more like Jesus. Will they do this perfectly? No. Jesus is the only perfect person to walk the earth. God has chosen to use deeply flawed human beings to fulfill His purposes on the earth because He does not have any other kind of human beings to work with.
    What is the major hindrance to all of this? Sin. Sin that produces independence from God and rebellion. Both parents with children and disciplemakers with disciples must work with God to root out all sin and rebellion. Sadly rebellion is our natural fall back position, our normal course of action. Obedience must be taught, modeled, and practiced. The reason discipleship is a lifelong process is because we always need to struggle against sin in this life. ( Hebrews 12:1-4)