Disciple, Discipled, Discipling

My daughter completed writing another book that has been sent off to the publisher. I was grateful to be her technical writer, going through the manuscript with a “fine tooth comb” to review it for clarity, punctuation, grammar, and content. With the wisdom she learned from her own life experiences, she wrote as a disciple of Christ to help her readers avoid some of her pitfalls and gain the wisdom she learned. So, in essence, she, as a disciple of Christ is discipling others to become disciples of Christ, also.

In my editing, I wrestled with her using discipled or discipling as an “action verb” because it isn’t described in the dictionary as a verb. I know she used it as the “action of making disciples” and shortened it to “discipling”, but my “Grammarly” app that spellchecks the contents, kept rejecting it as an "unknown" word.

Using “disciple” as a verb indicates the action Jesus commanded when he told us to “make disciples” of all nations. And when Staci used it as “discipling” people, she was describing how we obey Jesus by “making disciples.” Whew! I’m sure you can understand the angst I had to not using it as a verb because even as I type this post, Grammarly has highlighted it as an "incorrect" word eight times. But, for the emphasis Staci desired to make her point, it was necessary. She won the debate by keeping the word as a noun and a verb.

But there is a deeper question underlying the issue of grammar that created my angst. I was resolute against it but now, I find myself asking myself. “Does the way I’m wanting to use the word “disciple” indicate something about my heart? About my preferences? Do I prefer the noun of being a disciple or the verb of “discipling” aka making disciples?

Maybe I’m more comfortable with “disciple” as a noun because it puts the onus on me to be a “daily” disciple of Christ. I just need to “measure up” in my devotion and love for Him in what I say, how I live my life day-to-day, being His good girl, keeping His good rules, maintaining my Christian status, speaking good, not evil of others, and being an example of a follower of Christ.

It’s a whole other thing for “disciple” to become an action verb where there is the activity of discipleship directed toward others by obeying Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19 to "go and make disciples of all nations." It’s obvious in my “age bracket” (35 and up – LOL!) that we engage our own discipleship well, but we are aloof to those younger than us who need encouragement. We are more comfortable with being a disciple than making disciples.

I also contend that if we shift the use of “disciple” from a noun to a verb, we may get more comfortable with the activity of “making disciples” than the state of “being a disciple and literally following Jesus, being in intimate relationship with Him”. We could spend our lives investing in our relationships with others, but neglect the most important relationship of all, the one with Jesus Himself.

So back to my dilemma in using a word in a published book that isn’t in the dictionary. I hear God saying to me what He said in my post yesterday. “You are worried about too many things that matter so little. Say, ‘Oh well’, and embrace “discipled and discipling” as verbs and “disciple” as a noun. Just live out both senses of the word if you desire to do discipleship well. Take your personal discipleship with me seriously as well as the discipleship of others to help them connect to Me and the Body of Christ. You are my “disciple”. Now go into all the world and “disciple” others to follow me, too.” Dear Lord, I sure do hope the next question I have for you DOESN’T involve grammar! Amen."

What Punctuation Mark Defines You?

What Punctuation Mark Defines You?
I always want to be growing and learning. When we "cease and desist" our desires for living a full, active life and hungering and thirsting for knowledge and creativity, we will become stagnant. Like a rose that is cut off from its stem, we'll wither up and eventually lose all zest for living. In essence, a PERIOD defines who those folks are. Go here PERIOD. Go there PERIOD. Do that PERIOD. And, when all those goings and doings end, they END. I've heard about folks who had a full, successful and profitable life, but when retirement came....they quit living. Oh, they may be alive, but retirement, to them, was a PERIOD. Done. You might as well place a period after their name, because as far as they are concerned, they've gone as far as they are willing to go in this life. That certainly wasn't Mother Teresa. At age 86, she was accomplishing more and helping more people than a 20-something year old. I want to follow her lead.

A COMMA is a punctuation mark that separates words and phrases. A COMMA is never used at the end of a sentence. Whenever we see a COMMA, we know that there is more to come. A COMMA lets us know that after a short pause, more will follow. It is so awesome to be around COMMA people. They'll finish one project or service or outreach, and before you know it, they're on to the next one. They pitch in at a moment's notice, and without complaint. They’re first in line to volunteer, despite their already busy schedule. They work COMMA, work-out COMMA, teach a Sunday School Class COMMA, volunteer at a charity COMMA, help a neighbor in need COMMA..... not PERIOD. They just take a slight PAUSE, and they're at it again. Actually, our lives should be a series of COMMAS. We ought to go from one good deed of kindness to another.

The QUESTION MARK folks have so much potential. They are always growing because they are always learning. They are humble enough to know "they don't know it all". They are the ones who don't ALWAYS have to be right. They are the ones who are willing to ASK for directions, the one who is teachable and is always able to make course corrections and change directions.

Drum roll please!!! The GRAND FINALE of my punctuation post is about the EXCLAMATION POINT folks. The EXCLAMATION POINT signifies some dynamic, powerful and enthusiastic moment, action, and life being lived. EXCLAMATION POINTS are reserved for life’s great adventures and accomplishments that excite the spirit and set our hearts on fire. That's how we should be living our lives. Ordinary is not for them EXCLAMATION POINT! No complaining from them EXCLAMATION POINT! These folks are defined by their enthusiasm and live with great anticipation of what tomorrow holds EXCLAMATION POINT! Don't you love hanging out with EXCLAMATION POINT people? They live with relentless faith and will power to trudge forward in spite of a lot of COMMAS, PERIODS and QUESTION MARKS that have come their way. They have a life to live and they're not giving up until they're taken up.......… EXCLAMATION POINT!
They have work to be done….. EXCLAMATION POINT!
They have mountains to climb.....EXCLAMATION POINT!
They have victories to achieve…. EXCLAMATION POINT!
They have a devil to defeat…. EXCLAMATION POINT!
They have a storm to calm…. EXCLAMATION POINT!
They have a prayer to pray…. EXCLAMATION POINT!
They have a promise to claim… EXCLAMATION POINT!
They have a hunger to be satisfied…. EXCLAMATION POINT!
They have a thirst to be quenched…. EXCLAMATION POINT!
They have a race to be won......EXCLAMATION POINT!
They have a mission to be accomplished....EXCLAMATION POINT!

I want the DASH punctuation mark on my tombstone to say......
SHE LIVED LIFE FULL ON....EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!!