Character
Persons who lean more toward character long to be like Jesus. Their identity or self-worth gets wrapped up in character development, which often gets translated as “dos and don’ts.” Character leaning leaders tend to enjoy relationships with believers, forsaking relationships with those outside the church because “bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
It should be pointed out here that Paul was referencing other so-called believers who denied the resurrection (those with bad theology on an essential doctrine) and not the outside world. But in any manner, outsiders often find it difficult to break into this type of group and thus little Kingdom breakthrough happens.
Immature disciples, who focus on the character of Jesus, may see some success/breakthrough initially, but eventually they become intolerant and/or separated from the world, tucked away in a religious community. They soon become lofty finger-pointers who love to point out the splinter in another person’s eye while ignoring the log in their own eye. A mature disciple knows they too are a wretched man (as Paul describes in Romans 7), and therefore approach people with grace and seek to restore them with gentleness. The mature disciple also knows God wants to do through him what he has done in him.
The Journey of the Disciple
If you are like me, and you are tired of talking about the good ol’ days, then you need to recognize which ditch you find yourself in. Immature disciples annoy people with stories of those good ol’ days, while mature disciples inspire people toward future days. These immature stories often have seeds of intolerance or cynicism. Choose not to camp in either of these pits. Choose instead the life of a disciple. The life of the maturing disciple is a journey of developing the character of Jesus while learning the competency of Jesus.
This balance of character and competency will help us find sustainable breakthrough in ministry, not just in the exciting beginning stages, but throughout the entirety of the journey. It is certainly a journey that it is filled with many pitfalls, which is why we see in the New Testament that disciples had spiritual leaders whom they imitated and who held them accountable.
