The Three Levels Of Discipleship.

The Three Levels Of Discipleship.

Discipleship. It’s a word we use to describe our attitude and commitment to God. But there are many types of disciples, and they are not created equally. Our discipleship and responsibility are based on our motivation to follow Christ. Laman and Lemuel also went back to Jerusalem and built a boat, but they did not do it for the same reason as Nephi and therefore did not receive the same blessings. Disciples are typically motivated by one of three things: Fear, Blessings, or Love. Everyone will quickly want to say “oh I am motivated by love,” but we need to be honest with ourselves, are we obeying out of fear, desire for reward or love? If we are not where we want to be, let us do better.

Obeying Out Of Fear.

Obeying out of fear is a tactic used by many in leadership; they believe those who fear them, will obey them. How many kids obey their parents out of fear of timeout? Many churches teach to fear God and that you are one strike away from eternal damnation. Some individuals keep commandments to avoid the negative effects of breaking them.

For example, It is easy for most members to abstain from tobacco and alcohol because natural laws reinforce those commandments. If you use them, there will be adverse side effects. Obeying out of fear is indeed not a sin, but there is a much better way. If our discipleship is out of fear, we will eventually run into a trial that fear is not strong enough to overcome. We must be motivated by something higher.

“Service out of fear of punishment is a lesser motive at best.”
Dallin H. Oaks

Obeying Out Of A Desire For Reward.

Most people believe in and practice the law of reciprocity. Even if that is the first time you’ve heard the word, you probably have practiced reciprocity in your relationships and discipleship. So what exactly is reciprocity? It is doing things that are mutually beneficial, and not doing things that are not. The world reinforces reciprocity every day. Would anyone go to University if they were told at the end they would not be able to graduate? Would you order something online if you knew it would never be delivered to you?

Many members keep commandments out of a desire for the reward, and they give the blessing as the reason they keep the commandment “I pay Tithing because I need the blessings!” Yes, it is true God will reward us for our efforts, and that is a better motivation for obedience than fear. However, He will reward us on His timetables and sometimes He will ask us to give up something good for a better blessing later down the road. Those living the law purely out of reciprocity will struggle with commandments with hidden or less immediate blessings.

So many returned missionaries become frustrated with this level of discipleship and exclaim “I am doing everything right, why am I not married yet!?” This is just one of the dangers of this level of discipleship. Most members of the church are motivated, even if only in part, by the reward of exaltation and eternal families. It is okay to be excited and grateful for blessings the Lord has promised us, but we want to find our motivation coming from something even more profound. We want it to come from love.

Obeying Out Of Love.

The highest form of discipleship is obeying out of love and trust in the Lord. These members have adopted what President Holland referred to as “But If Not” discipleship. At a fireside at UVU President Holland shared the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and he quoted Daniel 3:17-18. Where they affirm that they have faith that God will deliver them, but then follow up with saying BUT IF NOT, they still will obey God. (For a great article on Mormon.org about this click here)

Developing “but if not” discipleship is hard. It is learning to follow even if we don’t see the results. It is being motivated by love and learning to trust in God’s plan and timing. When we develop “but if not” discipleship we are willing to follow the Lord, trusting that He will provide, but if He does not deliver you, you will still follow him.

“Service with all of our heart and mind is a high challenge for all of us. Such service must be free of selfish ambition. It must be motivated only by the pure love of Christ.”
Dallin H. Oaks

Christlike Discipleship

Learning to trust God and follow Him out of love is the hardest and holiest form of discipleship. President Dallin H. Oaks referred to it as “a more excellent way.” (Why do we serve, Oct 1984). Love is not only a more excellent way, but it is also the motivating force behind God’s actions. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught: “Love is the grand motive of the plan of salvation.” This pure love of Christ, or Charity, it is not only the most powerful motivating force in the universe but it is also the only motivating force that “never faileth” (Moroni 7:46 and 1st Cor 13:8).

This love is embodied by Jesus Christ’s discipleship and attitude in the Garden of Gethsemane during atoning Friday. He was not motivated by fear, or by reward, but merely from His love towards God and us. That love and trust enabled Him to truthfully say, “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42 He was only able to do this because He trusted the plan of His Loving Father. We too can learn to trust our loving Father if we follow the example of Jesus Christ.

“The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that the desires of our hearts can be transformed and our motives can be educated and refined.”
Elder Michael T. Ringwood

Why We Need To Be Motivated By Charity.

If we are following Christ each of us will be led by Christ into our personal Gethsemane. Our “Friday” so to speak. A trail when we too will ask God: “Is what I have done already not enough?” or we might think “Can I keep going?” In that moment of our greatest testing if we are following Christ out of fear of punishment or desire for reward our hearts will fail us, and we will forsake Him and flee.

But if we are acting out of a love of God and trust in His plan, then we will be able to say: “I may be tired, I may feel battered, but not my will, but thine, be done!” And then clinging to the love of God and trusting Him we will be able to hold on until our Sunday will come. No matter how dark our Friday is, we can be assured that as we followed Christ into our Gethsemane, he will lead us out of it. Sunday will come!

“Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.”
Joseph B. Wirthlin