This is the time of year when students are graduating. People at all levels of education are “walking,” as they say, and receiving their diplomas. As graduations take place all around me, the thought occurred to me that disciples never graduate. Learning never stops in the school of discipleship!
On this side of eternity we will never figure it all out. We will never understand it all. We will never finish the course. We will never arrive spiritually. We are forever in the school of learning what it means to live like Jesus.
Character and conduct require a lifetime of continual development. All the discipleship notebooks in the world won’t get you to a place where character development is complete. All the fill in the blank outlines will never bring you to a point where your conduct is fully transformed.
For the rest of your life you will need the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the People of God to help you become more like the Son of God. Stay committed to the classroom of discipleship!
If you have grown tired of small groups, accountability, scripture memory, Bible discussion, outreach projects, and prayer–it is time to re-enroll. The disciples of Christ never graduated. They never ceased to grow and learn how to be disciples and how to build more disciples.
Someone once said, “The best time to grow an oak tree was ten years ago. The next best time is today.” Don’t waste ten years, one year, or even a day not being in an environment of growth. Make a commitment today to be part of a disciple-making small group.
One day you will “walk.” Let that day be the day you enter into eternity. Until then, keep learning and growing and stay enrolled in the school of discipleship.