To Be with Jesus

Jesus "appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons" (Mark 3:13, NRSV). As we seek to follow Jesus today, how often do we attempt to proclaim the Gospel and wield spiritual authority without beginning in the presence of Jesus? Peter and John, two of those included in this charge to discipleship, apparently learned well, for when the Jewish leaders observed their powerful public witness to Christ, "they took note that these men had been with Jesus" (Ac. 4:13, NIV). In our busy age, we would do well to practice Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." Instead of running into hectic activity, we ought to linger in the presence of Jesus, responding to his invitation to simply spend time with him.

We have heard this message on a regular basis (though we still find it difficult to put into practice). Less frequently, however, have we considered this as a model for our own ministry of discipleship. We are pretty good at coming up with new programs, new methods, and new materials, but are less astute at following our Master's example of inviting people to simply be with us.

I had lunch today with a friend from college. In the 30 years since we roomed together, our lives have wandered in diffferent directions, only occasionally connecting with one another, yet we are still good friends. My friend is a highly successful small business owner, who now owns and oversees a number of companies within his holding company. As he described for me his interactions with his presidents and vice-presidents who run his companies, I began to calculate how this new perspective could yield insight for the church. "Do you have a set of leadership principles that you use with these people," I asked, expecting that he would give me a list of 3 or 4 or 5 key ideas that I could quickly write down.

"No," he responded, "They are each so different, and their situations are so unlike, that it's hard to come up with things that they would all hold in common. I just spend time with them and see how they're doing personally - their health, their family, their work patterns. I don't tell them much; I do more asking of questions and they eventually tell themselves what they need to hear. My role is just to let them be with me, to let them draw from my experience in order to avoid repeating my mistakes."

There was a lot more to our conversation, but at the end of our lunch I walked away with a reminder that this is really the role to which I should aspire in my discipling relationships - to be a coach, to ask the right questions, to invite people to spend time with me as we seek together to follow Jesus. As my friend trusts those who spend time with him to operate his companies, so I need to learn to trust those who spend time with me to multiply our relationship with others.