Do people want what you have? Is your life attractive?

The truth is, our lives are the real advertisement. The Bible calls our lives a living epistle, an open book for all to read.

2 You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

2 Corinthians 3:2-3

That is why relationship discipleship must begin with us – the disciple-maker. No programs, lights or music. Just you. You and your walk with God.

As we focus on the disciple, we must not neglect our own relationship with God. When our relationship with God is vibrant and thriving, the disciple sees the gifts and fruit of the Spirit in our life.

The gifts of the Spirit attract disciples, and the fruit of the Spirit causes them to stay.

Gifts of the Spirit

These are spectacular. They can’t help but attract others as people see the power of God at work in you. We need this to demonstrate the authority God has given us in the Spirit. It brings a fear of God and a reverence for the authority God has bestowed upon our lives. The apostles asked God to back up their words with a supernatural demonstration so that people would know that their words were from God. We need the gifts of the Spirit to validate the ministry God has entrusted us with.But the Bible warns us not to follow after the gifts. Giftedness while dazzling, does not equate with spirituality. It is our character, when the gifts are not at work, that causes a disciple to truly want to follow you as you follow Christ.

Fruit of the Spirit

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control…

Galatians 5:22-23

Fruit is to be tasted and eaten. And the only way anyone would ever taste and eat of the fruit is if they bite it. How will your disciple partake of the sweetness of the fruit of the Spirit? It is only when they take a bite of you.

It is when they reject you, are rude to you, treat you unfairly, make selfish and unreasonable demands, accuse and oppose you, that you get to show your fruit. Despite all that, you are loving, kind, gentle, patient, forgiving and merciful towards them.

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

John 12:24

In this process of being bitten, we die. We allow our disciples to bite us deep enough till they get to the seed. Jesus said that a seed needs to die before we can reap a harvest. We need to die out to our own rights, expectations, ambition and self-glory so we can reap a true and lasting harvest.

Going Deeper

Making disciples begins with getting deeper with God. The closer we walk with Jesus the more we become like Him. The more we grow in the Spirit, the more others see the supernatural power of God in our lives.

In all that you do in ministry, don’t neglect your own walk and relationship with God. We need to stay close to His heartbeat in order to do His work.

It was Jesus’ death on the cross that accomplished His greatest work. We are not exempted. To see others saved and transformed, we too need to carry our cross like Jesus did.