A Day in the Life
“Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” — Colossians 1:28
When I reflect on what it truly means to disciple someone, I cannot help but return to the way Jesus Himself walked with His followers. He did not simply give instructions and move on. He lived among them, corrected them, encouraged them, and patiently revealed Himself to them. Discipleship, then, is not a program or a checklist—it is the intentional sharing of a life centered in Christ. Paul’s words in Colossians carry a weight that is easy to overlook. The Greek term teleios, translated “perfect,” speaks not of flawlessness but of completeness, maturity, a life fully shaped by Christ. That becomes the aim—not activity, but transformation.
As I consider this, I realize how easily I can substitute Christian activity for Christlike maturity. I can attend services, read Scripture, and even serve others, yet still remain unchanged at the deeper level of my heart. Jesus encountered this very issue in His ministry. In Matthew 23, He confronted the Pharisees, not because they lacked religious activity, but because their hearts were distant from God. “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). That statement exposes the danger. Activity can mimic devotion, but it cannot replace relationship. Discipleship must go beyond encouraging behavior; it must introduce a person to the living Christ.
I think of how Jesus discipled Peter. There were moments of bold confession, like in Matthew 16, when Peter declared Jesus as the Christ. Yet there were also moments of failure, even denial. Still, Jesus did not abandon him. After the resurrection, in John 21, Jesus restored Peter not with a lecture but with a question rooted in relationship: “Do you love me?” The Greek word used there, agapaō, speaks of a deep, self-giving love. Jesus was not merely correcting Peter’s behavior; He was calling him into a deeper relationship that would ultimately shape his life and ministry. That is discipleship—remaining with someone until Christ is formed in them.
This challenges me to rethink how I invest in others. Am I content when someone simply participates in Christian practices, or am I committed to walking with them until they begin to reflect the character of Christ? The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—these are not the result of external pressure but internal transformation. As A.W. Tozer once observed, “The goal of the Christian life is not to be busy, but to be like Christ.” That insight reminds me that discipleship is deeply relational, requiring time, patience, and presence.
There is also a sense of responsibility woven into Paul’s words. He says, “Him we preach… that we may present every man…” There is intentionality here. Discipleship is not accidental. It requires a willingness to “stay with” someone, just as Jesus stayed with His disciples through their misunderstandings and struggles. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” That statement presses into the heart of the matter. If I reduce discipleship to activity, I risk leading others into a form of faith that lacks the very presence of Christ.
So, as I walk through this day, I ask myself a simple but searching question: Am I helping others know Christ, or merely encouraging them to do Christian things? There is a difference, and it is significant. One leads to transformation; the other can lead to spiritual stagnation. Jesus calls me not just to speak about Him, but to walk with others in such a way that they come to know Him personally. That means patience when growth is slow, grace when failure comes, and persistence in pointing them back to Christ.
In the end, discipleship is an act of love. It is choosing to invest in someone else’s spiritual journey, not for a moment, but for the long haul. It is trusting that the same Christ who is at work in me is also at work in them. And it is believing that, over time, He will bring each of us into that place of completeness—teleios—where His character is increasingly reflected in our lives.
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