I’ve been on a quest for the past two years to find out how to make disciples. Probably I’ve been thinking about this most of my life, but here are a few new twists:

• Multiplication, not Addition: adding people can be done through skills and effort, but the gospel should carry on for generations of disciples making disciples
• Disciples, not Leaders: there’s lots of teaching on developing leaders, and I’ve had lots of practice; I’m looking not for those who became pastors or leaders, but those overflowing with the life of Jesus (love, joy, peace, etc.)
• Organic, not Organizational: how do regular people make disciples naturally, without centering it on an organization running programs?

I’ve talked with a bunch of people. (We’re working with churches in dozens of countries.) The first thing I discovered is that people who are fruitful believe that God is actually with them right now. Depending on their tradition, this can be expressed in numerous ways:

• The presence of the Holy Spirit
• The favor of God; the hand of God
• Imagine Jesus is in the room
• God is with me
• Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
• The kingdom of God is at hand
• Abiding in Christ
• Walking with God
• God’s manifest presence
• God’s providence

Paul sums it up like this (note bold text):

I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. – Colossians 1:25-27

Believing this changes everything.

When I was in university, I read Andrew Murray’s With Christ in the School of Prayer. For several months, I wouldn’t leave my dorm room in the morning until I believed that Jesus was with me. It was like nothing I ever heard growing up in church. It could take me an hour (or sometimes three) to retrain my mind from a distant loving God, to a present loving God. And, oh the joy! Totally worth it. Recalibrated my whole day.

Again, a few years ago, my sabbatical coach Neil told me: “You have lots of faith, that’s not your problem. You need to let the love out.” What an interesting phrasing: let the love out. Not try harder to be loving. He’s discipling me like someone who knows Christ is in me. Just let him love others through you.

This is a mind-bender, or mind-breaker. Consider how many times you have an impulse to love someone and your mind talks your spirit out of it. It’s not appropriate to hug that person right now. That impulse I have to gush love on them is weird. My desire to express affection is too much in this situation. I can’t spontaneously invite them over for lunch. It will sound weird if I compliment them that dramatically. And quite often, there’s something better to say than the “I love you” that wants to burst out of your heart.

Jesus is in us through the Holy Spirit. If that’s too much to grasp, at least imagine that he’s next to you in the room right now. You don’t even need to talk to him or know what he’s up to. Just believe that he’s close, really close. The God of the universe is with you. He loves you. He likes you. He’s right there. Right now. Actually. Really. You get the idea. Bend your mind and believe it. This is the Biblical call to repentance: see things differently and act accordingly.