Discipleship is the lifelong journey of following Jesus Christ, surrendering our lives to His Lordship, and becoming more like Him through the study of His Word, prayer, obedience, service, and trust. It means placing Jesus above our possessions, popularity, relationships, personal desires, and plans for the future. Following Him is not always easy and may require sacrifice, but what we gain through Christ—knowing God, belonging to His family, living with purpose, receiving forgiveness, and having the promise of eternal life—is worth far more than anything we could give up. Discipleship is not simply believing in Jesus; it is committing our whole being to following Him.
When I write our whole being, I am referring to the different dimensions of our humanity: spirit, mind, and body. Scripture tells us that God created humanity in His own image: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26, KJV). God did not create humanity without purpose. We are uniquely created to bear His image, think, reason, create, love, build relationships, and worship our Creator. While Scripture does not teach that humans are the only creatures with minds or bodies, it does reveal our unique calling to reflect God’s character and responsibly care for His creation. Our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual lives are interconnected, and neglecting one area can affect the others.
Caring for our whole being is not simply about personal improvement; it is an opportunity to honor the God who created us and entrusted us with life. Just as we need to nourish our bodies with proper food and exercise, and strengthen our minds through learning and healthy thinking, we must also nurture our spirits through God’s Word, prayer, worship, and fellowship with other believers. Each dimension matters, and we should strive to grow in each one so that our lives increasingly reflect Christ and bring glory to God.
Before Beyond the Pulpit explores the pillars, principles, and fundamental doctrines of our Christian faith, we will examine why it is important to nourish and strengthen our whole being. As Christians and students of God’s Word—which I assume you are, since you are reading this post—we recognize the importance of feeding and exercising our spirits. But spiritual growth should not cause us to overlook our minds and bodies. Our desire should be to grow spiritually, think wisely, and care for our physical well-being so that we can honor God and serve Him faithfully with our whole being.
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