Start Something

Last week, we discussed initiative—a “moving toward” others. This week we will focus on starting something. Starting something and initiative are similar, but starting something comes after initiative and is the practical side of discipleship. Once you have initiated a relationship with someone, what’s next? Throughout this week, we will focus on practical ways to start something meaningful within your relationships.

When thinking about our “woven” theme, starting something is the stage where the net really starts to take form and shape. If initiative symbolizes strings coming together to create a net by doing life together, starting something helps us understand what doing life together looks like. When we start living a life of discipleship, the net is formed and we become fishers of men.

In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus said to His disciples: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

If the “Go” in the Great Commission is the initiative, then making disciples of all nations and teaching them to obey everything God has commanded is starting something. When we begin to make disciples and teach others the ways of God, we get our hands dirty and live out the call to make disciples in practical ways. We start something as a way to be the good news of Christ to others.

Please don’t let the phrase “start something” overwhelm you. You might be thinking there is no room to start something new in your current schedule. But starting something can look many different ways. You might start something brand-new, or you might start seeing people already in your life in new ways. You could start a book club, or you could start being more intentional with coworkers you see every day. There are many different ways to practically walk out discipleship in our lives.

Discipleship takes on various forms because we have different gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4–11), likes, and spheres of life. Start something within your giftings. Start something you enjoy—something in your current sphere of life. The practical side of discipleship should not feel overwhelming, impossible, or heavy.

Because we follow a creative God, starting something and practically living out discipleship can look so many different ways. Start praying for others, start listening to others, start encouraging, celebrating, and teaching others. Start a viewing party for your favorite show, start looking people in the eye, start a play group, start making food for people . . . the possibilities are endless. This is the beauty of discipleship—practically doing life with others.

Start something with someone in your community! God created us as relational beings, and He wants us to lock arms and make disciples together. Even Jesus sent out His disciples two by two (Luke 10:1). When we work together, we can encourage one another, bounce ideas off each other, and pick each other up when needed.