Inner Healing Comes by Making Disciples in Today’s World

“Go and make disciples” (Matt. 28:19–20). This is what we are called to do. This calling is not about recruiting; it is an act of love. It is sharing the truth of Jesus with others so that they may know Him, find salvation in Him, be healed and transformed by Him, and, in turn, share this good news with others—so that it may be passed on.

Sometimes, we can get stuck focusing only on salvation. I praise God when someone finds Jesus and gains the assurance of eternity with Him, and I do not want anyone to spend eternity separated from God. But there is more. We must also be healed. We must be born again—leaving our old lives behind and stepping into the new life God has for us.

Being a true follower of Jesus means continually growing in relationship with Him through reading the Word of God and consistent prayer. As we come to know Him intimately, we begin to follow Him more closely, and we reap the fruit of that relationship. We discover our true identity, which is deeply liberating. We experience healing and inner peace we may never have thought possible.

Following Jesus is not always easy. We are called to bear our cross. Sometimes this requires sacrifice, and sometimes it means letting go of old habits that feel impossible to break. Yet in doing so, we remove the grave clothes of our former lives. We step out of the graves we once lived in and come alive in Him. This transformation is possible—but it is also a process. Inner healing is real, and there is only one way to experience it: by abiding in Him.

However, our inner healing and transformation are not meant to be kept to ourselves. The greater purpose of our healing is for God to fill us with who He is so that we can pour out what He has given us into the lives of others.

What we receive is meant to be shared, so that those we impact can then share it with others.

Gary Collins, in his book How to Be a People Helper, describes five steps in the discipling process:

• We make contact

• We witness verbally and non-verbally through our actions

• We bring people to the point of conversion

• We help others grow as disciples• We teach them how to disciple others

He goes on to explain, “There are many times when you take a person through all five stages, but more often you will be with a helpee for a very short time, have some influence in his or her life, and then move on while another person takes over.”¹

When we participate in the discipling process, we take on the responsibility of being helpers by living out what it means to abide in Christ. Discipleship is walking alongside those who are hurting, lost, or spiritually hungry, helping them reach the fullest potential God has called them to. We are called not only to make disciples, but to make disciples who go on to make more disciples.

Because of this, we must desire inner healing for ourselves, surrendering to God’s leading and His ways. God can use a broken vessel—He is God—but let us desire a deeper level of healing that transforms our hearts and minds, enabling us to be all that He intended us to be. It is His will that we be whole, and if we ask in His name, it will be given to us (John 14:13–14).

Like Joshua, we must put our feet on the ground and possess the land. Whether that means seeking healing for our own hearts and minds, or walking alongside someone as they grow in their understanding of Jesus, we are part of God’s redemptive work. Through this, others can experience rebirth and then pass it on.

There is nothing more powerful than a testimony. Often, we must walk through pain and come out on the other side so that we are deeply passionate about what we have gained. From that place, we help others and share the incredible blessings of a relationship with Jesus.

So take possession of your healing, or be a helper to those on the journey toward theirs. Let everything we do be done for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).

Now go and make disciples.

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1. Collins, Gary R. How to Be a People Helper. Wheaton, Ill., Tyndale House Publishers, 1995. 55