This is part 7 in a 12 part Series on D.I.S.C.I.P.L.E.S.H.I.P. – Twelve Tips to help you become a more effective discipler of children.

There isn’t a discipler who wouldn’t say they love their students and what more than anything for them to feel loved and KNOW that they are loved, unconditionally, just as they are. But what does it truly mean to show unconditional love? And how do you show love like this?
It starts by understanding how God loves us.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:6-8
Think about it – God did not wait for you to get your act together, to start being good, until you started being religious, to save you. You save you while you were a mess and completely undeserving of his attention, let along his mercy and grace. He loved you when you were unlovable. And he STILL LOVES YOU no matter what. Years ago I saw a T-shirt my friend Steve Greer was selling at CPC. They said:
NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY, GOD LOVES YOU.
I still have my t-shirt (I think that was around 1995 when I got it!) and every time I put it on it makes me smile. Whew. God loves ME, of all people. Pretty amazing stuff. OK, so God loves me, after you get over your shock, you might ask, but what’s that have to do with your disciples?
EVERYTHING.
Just as you disappoint the Lord regularly (I was being nice by not saying every day!) so your students, or disciples, will disappoint you. They will leave church. They will take up smoking. They will get pregnant. They will get into witchcraft. They will be victims of this sinful world. They will shock you, disappoint you and at time break your heart. Many others, perhaps even most, will escape much of this in large part BECAUSE you discipled them. But there will be some who disappoint you. And when they do, all you need to do to keep loving them, believing in them, and investing in them…. is to look in the mirror.
If God hasn’t given up on you, there is no reason to give up on those you are discipling. And if you think you’re pretty good – you may have a rude awakening coming your way. We all will fail the Lord in a wide variety of ways. But the good news is, HE will never cast you off. Friends may. Christians will. But the God who laid there unflinching when the nails were pounded in, will never give up on you!
DISCIPLESHIP IS NOT ABOUT MAKING PERFECT KIDS, IT IS ABOUT INTRODUCING THEM TO A PERFECT LOVE THAT WILL NOT FAIL THEM.
In fact, many kids will never truly believe in the Goodness of God until after they have failed and experienced grace and forgiveness and unconditional love. From you.
So teach them doctrine. Have them memorize Scripture. Help them understand the Bible and navigate it with confidence. Show them how to live a godly life. But above all else, let them know that you love them and that there is NOTHING they can do to damage that love. Friendship, perhaps. Trust, certainly. But love? Never.
If you are serious about discipling kids, your love WILL be put to the test. But I figure, I test God’s love every day, and He always passes with flying colors. So I will do the same with those who disappoint me, hurt me, or fall short of what I hope or expect of them. I will forgive and love and let God do His work in His time.
Just as He is doing with me.
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