Becoming a disciple: it’s not an option, it’s a calling

Jesus never asked you to believe in Him. He said: Follow me! He’s not looking for spectators. He’s looking for walkers, followers, men and women who renounce everything to follow Him, lives fully surrendered to His Lordship. Follow me… and I will make you. You cannot become without following Him. It’s non-negotiable. No true impact, no spiritual legacy without this unique path: discipleship. Is that your case?

Matthew 4:19 is radical: Follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men

This single sentence contains a spiritual manual for every authentic Christian life. Following Jesus means entering a radical and intentional transformation process, a process in which you renounce your own will to be shaped by His. It’s not an à la carte course or a secondary activity of your faith. It is the heart of God’s plan.

Redefining discipleship: more than teaching, a transformation

Discipleship is not a program. It’s not a series of spiritual activities. It’s not about memorizing verses or serving at church on Sundays. Discipleship is a divine intentional process, a path drawn by the hand of God, for a man or a woman to become like Christ—in character and in power.

A disciple is not just someone who knows Jesus. It’s someone who lives with Him, walks like Him, follows Him constantly until they resemble Him. It’s also someone who can replicate what they’ve learned: becoming a fisher of men. If you’re trying to impress heaven with your service but refuse to be transformed, you’re not in discipleship. You’re in activism. But God is looking for surrendered hearts, not just busy hands.

Why becoming a disciple is non-negotiable

There are five reasons directly drawn from the call Jesus gave to Peter: “Follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men.”

1. It is the will of God. Jesus doesn’t say “Believe in me,” He says “Follow me.” We have plenty of believers in our churches. But disciples? Far fewer. Jesus never intended to make subscribers—but transformers. If you truly want to respond to His will, the only real answer is to become a disciple.
2. It is a command. This is not an optional invitation. It’s not a call to consider when you feel ready. It’s a clear instruction, a divine imperative. Jesus hasn’t given you the luxury of choice. Following Christ is not an extra for the radicals—it is the foundation of the Christian walk.
3. It is through discipleship that you become. He says, “I will make you.” If you want to know who you’re meant to become, you must follow Him. One who does not follow Jesus can never become what God intended. He will never enter his true destiny. He may succeed humanly, but never accomplish spiritually. Discipleship brings you to manifest your heavenly version on earth. Without this process, you are outside God’s plan for your life.
4. The disciple becomes a disciple-maker. The fruit of discipleship is reproduction. You cannot truly say you are a disciple if your life does not produce other disciples. Paul said to Timothy: “What you have heard from me… entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). That’s God’s design: a chain of transformed lives that transform others.
5. It is the model Jesus chose to sustain the Kingdom. It’s not the crowds that build the Kingdom. It is the disciples. Out of the thousands Jesus touched, 500 persevered at the Ascension, and from that small core shaped by Christ, God built His Church.

Not becoming a disciple is to endanger the future of the Kingdom. It is to prevent others from accessing life in Christ. It is to break the spiritual relay. Discipleship is the transmission engine of God’s inheritance across generations.

How to stay committed despite the challenges of the present age

We live in a generation of noise, sin, visible and invisible snares. The present age spares no one. Yet the apostle Paul exhorts us not to conform to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). And this transformation can only take place in an intentional environment of discipleship.

Three pillars will help you persevere no matter what:

• Belong to a spiritual family. Not just an occasional presence. Be rooted, committed, connected. It is written, “Iron sharpens iron”—your faith is strengthened among your brothers. It is in contact with other disciples that you are stirred, corrected, and adjusted.
• Permanently expose yourself to the presence of God. Seek an intense life of intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Cultivate prayer, feed on the Word, stay exposed to sermons, prophetic worship. The more exposed you are to God, the more equipped you’ll be to face the outside world.
• Enter a true discipleship process. Let someone spiritually walk with you. Don’t be a lone ranger. You need a mentor, a model, a mature man to help you go further, address your flaws, confront your wounds, and shape Christ’s character in you.

The good disciple is not the perfect one, but the one who is transformable

Peter was a disciple long before Pentecost. He was certainly imperfect, authoritarian, impulsive, angry. But he had a moldable heart. He was willing to change. That is a true disciple. You can have struggles, flaws—but if your heart is open, teachable, honest, transformable—then you are a good disciple.

Judas also had struggles. But he didn’t want to change. He hid his battles. He denied them. He lacked the humility to confront his darkness. The authentic disciple does not hide his weaknesses. He confronts them before God. He deals deeply with his soul. God is not seeking perfect lives. He wants hosting hearts, surrendered to His inner work.

Personal testimony: me too, recently, God confronted my pride. It was subtle. I prayed, made plans with confidence, as if tomorrow belonged to me. But the Spirit stopped me. He said, “Tomorrow is a grace.” And I understood that without deep humility, I could destroy generations. The souls attached to my destiny might never flourish. So I cried out to God, I humbled myself, I vomited that pride. That’s the path of a disciple.

The sacrifice of fire: Yes, you can combine discipleship, family life, career, and ministry

You can be a father, husband, business leader, pastor… and remain a disciple. As long as you integrate one thing: discipleship is not an activity, it’s an identity posture. I am a disciple everywhere! In my home, businesses, and ministry. I want my children to be disciples, my team to be disciples, and that in everything I do, I carry Christ.

But it’s not automatic. You have to practice intentional routines. Include God in your agenda. Guarantee your intimacy above all. Protect your inner fire. Schedule moments for your family. Balance the seasons. Invest in trustworthy people to reproduce in. And above all: stay dependent on God.

The most powerful part of the solution is not your intelligence, it’s your altar. In times of intimacy, as you pray, you are already building your business, your home, your ministry. God works while you expose yourself. He heals your soul. He aligns your priorities. He removes the wrong people, sends the right ones. He reveals what you yourself don’t see.

Can’t see yourself there yet? Let grace carry you

Many don’t dare to start this journey for fear of not finishing it. But listen closely: it is harder not to surrender to God than to surrender. When you resist, you carry the burden alone. When you surrender, it is God who upholds you. His call doesn’t rest on your ability, but on His faithfulness.

You want to walk with God for 10, 20, 30 years? You want to hear “well done, good and faithful servant”? Then give yourself entirely. Once you taste His presence, everything else becomes secondary. The Kingdom of God is a precious pearl: when you find it, you sell everything.

Let’s pray together

Father, I come to You today. I choose to no longer be just a believer. I want to follow You fully. Form Christ in me, transform my life, make me a disciple after Your own heart. Burn away all resistance, all lukewarmness, all disobedience in me. Make me unshakable. Use me to impact my generation. In Jesus’ name, amen.

🙏 If you have never given your life to Jesus, say this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I need You. Come into my life, forgive my sins, save me. I believe You died and rose again for me. I accept You as my Lord and Savior. I want to follow You and serve You. Use me. Amen.

At the heart of the Bible

• Matthew 4:19 – Follow me, and I will make you…
• Romans 12:2 – Do not conform to this world…
• 2 Timothy 2:2 – Entrust to faithful men…
• 1 Peter 5:10 – He will strengthen, perfect, and establish you
• Luke 9:23 – If anyone wants to come after me… let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me
• Romans 12:1 – Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God

Invitation

📽️ Want to go further? Want to become a true disciple? Join the ICC discipling platform—a structured, biblical process to be transformed and transform others. It’s time to rise. Click here to watch the full video from Pastor Alain Patrice and let God speak to your heart.

📽️ Want to go further? To watch the full video: Click here.