"Discipleship is not a code word for
evangelism, nor is it a hierarchical system for spiritual growth, a way
for professional Christians to pass on their best practices to novice
Christians. Making disciples requires not only “sharing our faith,” but also sharing our lives—failures and successes, disobedience and obedience.
Real discipleship is messy, imperfect, and
honest. I wanted clean, “perfect,” and limited honesty. I preferred to
disclose only my successes, to pass on my accumulated wisdom and
knowledge while hiding my foolishness and ignorance. It’s not that I
wasn’t making disciples; people gobbled up my platitudes and piety. The
problem was the kind of disciples I was making, disciples who could
share their faith but not their failures."
Jonathan Dodson, Gospel-Centered Discipleship