Following Jesus: The Call to Discipleship in the 21st Century

As Christians, we’ve all heard of the disciples of Jesus and their amazing mission to spread the gospel to the world, even in the darkest times. We've heard of the twelve men who followed Jesus everywhere. We learned how they were filled with the Holy Spirit and performed many miracles that led people to God.

We’ve heard of Paul, who was miraculously transformed on the road to Damascus. One moment, Paul was going around killing God's people; the next, he became an effective teacher leading many people to Jesus. God has given us that same special mission.  Being a Christian is a commitment to God to be His disciple.

Now that we know what discipleship is, we will move on to our topic question:

“What does it mean to be a disciple in the 21st century?”

Being a disciple means accepting Jesus into your life and making a commitment to do His work, even when it’s difficult. But this is where people start to slack off. Many Christians believe that because we have religious freedom, with no one hunting us down or trying to stop us, we can simply sit back and relax. In other words, we may begin to think that we don’t need to grow in the gospel or share it with others. That is one of the most dangerous ways to get off track with God without even realising it.

When we think about the 21st century, we think about modern times. And when we think of the word “modern,” the first thing that often comes to mind is technology. This leads us to another important question: “What are the challenges and opportunities that influence discipleship in this digital age?”

Believe it or not, one of the biggest challenges is also one of the best opportunities to share the gospel with the world.  The answer to both questions is technology.

Technology in the form of social media, is one of the best and easiest ways to share God’s message across the globe. Many people believe that social media is strictly bad. And yes, social media has its dark sides, but that doesn’t mean that it is inherently bad. Social media is simply a platform. What makes it good or bad is how we choose to use it.  In the same way social media can be used for cyberbullying and inappropriate videos, it can be used for ministry and to spread the gospel.

So remember, being a disciple of Christ isn’t about being perfect. It’s also not about simply sitting around and believing that God is real. It’s about using the resources God has given us to spread the gospel and fulfill His mission.

Avery-Ann Smith
Crawford Adventist Academy