This post is from me discipling my wife over Facebook chat, first I am helping her in her trial and then I explain how helping and teaching her is "discipling." It has been revised 11/2/11.
We rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:2-5)
"We rejoice in the hope of God's glory" so the hope that is produced in trials is the hope of God's glory. The hope isn't only for ourselves, though it does benefit us, it is for God to have glory brought to Him, still God shares His glory with us. God pours His love out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit!
We love God not only because He deserves it but because He knows that it is the most beneficial thing for us to do. And because He is love everything we need is found IN Him.
Because Jesus himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 12:18)
Our trials most often bring temptations because our impurities (faults) are brought to the surface. God sends us trials but does not tempt us. This means that He intends for us to get help from Him concerning the temptations that come from the trials.
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. So even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. (Hebrews 5:7-8)
I believe this mystery of Jesus learning obedience means that He learned it by experience. This, what He asks us to do, He did also. It is not as if the all knowing God needed to do this to learn but He did it for our sake and for His greater glory. God not only has the wisdom and knowledge to help us but also the experience. His experience is the example He set for us as Jesus Christ being an obedient disciple and Son of His Father. He also has thousands of years of experience in making His people into His likeness. This gives us no room for doubting Him! He not only told us but He also showed us! He lived and died for us so we would live and die for Him and know precisely how to do so!
This is what it means to disciple. I see YOUR need. I go to HIM. HIS Spirit teaches me what to teach YOU.
I hold one hand out to God and the other hand out to you so I can take and pass along whatever He gives me. This is just like the multiplying of the loaves and the bread is Him. Jesus is the bread of life.
God isn't just MY supply as often thought. If I submit to Him, & thus follow Him, He will give me enough to give to others. I stand between Him and them not as an authority (a minister as often thought of) but as a servant (the true meaning of the word translated minister). The purpose of me being in Him is so that HE may show up in THEM! Doing this makes me selfless and satisfied because I have HIS righteousness and am ready for HIS living water (Spirit) to flow through me so that others may drink of HIM. The only other option is to be selfish and supply-less, no benefit to myself or others and of course not to God.
So then, what is YOUR need? GOD is always your need and He is the sole giver of all good things. Discipling then is God giving Himself to me. Me giving myself to God, which is submission (trusting Him enough to choose to follow Him as I know Him and He reveals Himself to me). Then God gives Himself to You through me. This results in you giving yourself to God to have Him give Himself to another through you and the process continues on & on from there. This very thing is what Jesus meant when He commanded us to MAKE DISCIPLES. "Teach them to keep all the commands I have given you" (Matthew 28:20). And this includes the command to love others as He has loved you. His love for you causes the keeping because you are walking with Him in a relationship aware of His desires as He reveals them to you.
