The Secret Revealed

Discipleship is a big, churchy word that gets thrown around quite often. People seem to grasp the general idea of discipleship but fail to execute it actively in their everyday lives. Discipleship is not a religious concept created by the church to make life easier or better. Rather, it is a biblically-rooted, life-changing action that God ordained for his children to help them grow and thrive. Discipleship is true, godly community and belonging with other believers.

Levina Mulandi, author of The Sisterhood Secret, experienced the transforming nature of sisterhood for herself. I bet that you could think of at least one brother or sister in Christ that is headed down the wrong path, one that leads to destruction, hurt, and pain. You know they are doing wrong in the eyes of God, and you want to help them because of the love you have for them as your friend, but you don’t know how to go about it in the best way. We have all been there. Discipleship is not easy. It can get messy. It requires work, time, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. However, as Levina Mulandi would attest, discipleship is God’s plan for us to change the world. This is the secret revealed.

Discipleship may not be easy, but it is simple. It’s only complicated if we make it complicated. Levina’s mentor, or “big sister”, reached out to her by simply knocking on her university dorm room door. They hung out and talked. Nothing too complicated, just honesty and vulnerability. Levina then adopted a “younger sister” of her own that she mentored. The details of discipleship – the where, for how long, how, etc. – are not what matters most. Discipleship can look like meeting at a café for one hour per week and talking about the wins and struggles of life over coffee. It can be a daily text message with bible verses or prayer requests. It can be dinner in the comfort of a hospitable home, a walk in the park, or even a video chat call. What matters is the centrality of Jesus and open hearts. It’s easy to make excuses as to why we shouldn’t or can’t disciple a younger sibling, but those excuses are not from God. If God calls us to disciple, which he has in Matthew 28:19-20, he will give us everything we need to do so. All we have to do is trust him and be still.

The Word of God reads of an abundance of examples of what discipleship should look like. The apostle Paul and Timothy’s relationship is one of many. Paul dedicated part of his life to mentoring his brother Timothy. Paul was older and wiser than Timothy, and he got to share his experiences with him in hopes of growing him and strengthening him in the faith for the future. Paul knew that when his time on earth came to an end, Timothy could diligently continue in ministry because of what he had learned from Paul.

We are meant to be both an older and a younger sibling in Christ at some point in our lives, sometimes simultaneously. It’s easier to pour out if we are being poured into. If someone takes the time to mentor us, we cannot selfishly keep that valuable knowledge inside. We must in turn adopt a younger sibling and share it with them, and the cycle continues. Discipleship is a constant cycle that never ends, one that is cultivated by the church.

Discipleship is not an option, it’s a need. People find God through discipleship. Discipleship can help people get free from sin. It can renew and refresh a tired soul. It can heal relationships. We all have times in our lives where we are consumed by anxiety, fear, confusion, sadness, and the like. Those deep valleys are not meant to be traveled alone, humanly speaking. Tough times can be debilitating. Marriage or friendship issues, job loss, death, money concerns, children, and stress from life are extremely difficult to endure. Sometimes, we just need help. It’s nice to have a godly friend who will speak life into your heart, remind you of the truth from Scripture, and pray for you during trials. Having someone to share life with, no matter how bad or amazing it gets, is a way that God ministers to us through other believers. Then, you can turn around and bless a younger sibling by loving them well in the same way that you were loved by your mentor.

Today, I challenge you to self-reflect. Do you have a mentor? If you don’t, I challenge you to ask a strong, trustworthy, older person of the same gender in your life to disciple you. After you have completed this step, ask yourself this next question: have I ever mentored someone else? If you are not currently discipling a younger sibling in Christ, I challenge you to pray about who you should take under your wing and disciple for the glory of God. Ask God to show you who may need godly guidance that you can build a relationship with. Lastly, read and memorize Titus 2:3-8. Pray that God will give you the desire to disciple as these verses say and equip you to be the best mentor that you can be.

Do you believe that you and your sisters in the faith are God’s plan to change the world? Delve into this devotional based on Levina Mulandi’s book The Sisterhood Secret and learn how to change the world together, one woman at a time.

Get your copy of The Sisterhood Secret on Amazon or from Oasis International Distribution partners in Africa.