“And the things you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will also be able to teach others.” 2 Timothy 2:2

Spiritual Reproduction

Walk His Way Revisited

If you were to set out to evangelize the world, how would you go about it? The average evangelist of today would buy TV time and use mass media. There would be outreaches and campaigns and mail-out strategies and a great deal of fanfare. The plan of Jesus was simply to train a “few good men”, and those men would lead and train and teach the multitudes. Jesus concentrated on shepherds to oversee the flocks. He was interested in quality rather than quantity. In the years to come, the quality of spiritual leadership demonstrated by these men would build upon the Chief Cornerstone and the Church would be established and endure for ages to come.

As ordinary women in an everyday world, we can be engaged in this same divine strategy. No matter our station in life, we can mentor a few individuals in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Out of my own experience I realize that when I was saved, I knew what I was saved from, but I did not have any concept of what I was saved for! I felt I had arrived when I got saved and did not grasp that salvation was not the end of the matter, but the beginning of a whole new way of life, teaching, growing, serving, and adventure!  For a very long time I was without that experienced voice of faith and wisdom to grow me in the things of God. That changed for me when I began to attend church regularly and was fed a regular diet of the Word of God. I also watched the lives of those in leadership and gleaned from their example to me. My own mother-in-law was my greatest mentor and demonstrated so lovingly what living a Christian life was all about.

Even though Jesus ministered to masses, His main focus was on the few.  A major component of His relationship with them was spending time with them, so that even while ministering to the needs of multitudes, He took that opportunity to demonstrate how to minister, how to teach, how to pray, etc. His lesson plan was: Watch Me do this; do this with Me; and then, you do this. Eventually these things would be their work and calling and they would always have those experiences and memories of seeing the Master at work to provide a template for service.

In the book *Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman states, “We must decide where we want our ministry to count – in the momentary applause of popular recognition or in the reproduction of our lives in a few chosen people who will carry on our work after we have gone.”

To reproduce spiritual life in even a few others resonates in my heart. That would be a life well lived!

Father, thank You for those who spent time with us in order to demonstrate in word and deed how to live this life of glorious faith. May we extend ourselves to chosen individuals in our own sphere of influence in instruction and encouragement for ministry. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

*Coleman, Robert. Master Plan of Evangelism. Revell. 1993.