A spiritual legacy should be the goal of everyone who has placed their trust in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. This should be the goal, but far too many have set their sights on a mediocre and diluted version of living the Christian life. Instead of experiencing a healthy pace of spiritual growth over the course of a lifetime, there is a stagnation, a dullness, a lethargic attempt to know Christ and grow closer to Him. The apostle Paul shared with us his passion and utmost desire for his life when he said,
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philip. 3:7-11)
No doubt, spiritual growth is a challenge for every believer, no matter the life experiences or culture in which he or she lives. Spiritual growth does not come easy; many times it is just plain hard. But just because it is “hard,” does not excuse us from the need to experience spiritual growth. In order to grow spiritually, it takes effort; effort that is supernaturally undergirded by the grace of God. It takes obedience and a clear decision to follow the Lord. Pastor and writer Rick Warren underscores this when he writes,
Spiritual growth is not automatic. It takes an intentional commitment. You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in growing. Discipleship—the process of becoming like Christ—always begins with a decision. Jesus calls us, and we respond: “Come, be my disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.”
The call for believers to live a discipled life of spiritual growth is timeless and essential. The world is waiting for a reason to follow the claims of Jesus Christ, looking to those who are experiencing an authentic faith that is appealing, growing and redeeming. The Church is waiting for men and women to live out what they know to be true as disciples of Jesus Christ, allowing the Church to be the Church as it impacts the world in which we live. The disciple of Jesus Christ is waiting for a strategy, for a plan, for a movement that he or she can join and lead others to a more vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the hope of this researcher to clearly lay out the case for the eternal value in making a commitment to living the discipled life. It is a commitment to quality relationships as underscored by Paul’s words to the Thessalonian believers when he said, “Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us” (1 Thess. 2:8).
There is a legacy being made by every believer who follows Jesus Christ. The question that should motivate each one is this: what kind of a disciple have I been? Are you ready to take the next step in your spiritual growth? Get ready for the time of your life!
