Published on: 28/10/2025
Theologian and author Eugene H. Peterson referred to Christian discipleship as a ‘long obedience in the same direction.’ Following Jesus – living each day according to his teachings and example – requires not just the initial commitment of becoming a Christian but a continual renewing of this decision each day after that. Being a disciple of Jesus requires that we take our faith into account at each juncture of our lives – it is our recurring theme. Without this kind of intentional faith, we will begin to drift from our intended course: our likeness to Christ will diminish rather than increase.
Being intentional in the way we live out our faith is important both in terms of our own spiritual life and in the way we seek to lead others. To use the language of being Lights for Christ, we need to first receive Christ’s light and walk in it before we can begin to reflect it to others.
I wonder what sort of habits and practices help you to follow Jesus in your everyday life? When was the last time you thought about your current rhythms of discipleship? It can be easy to continue in the same pattern we always have, even though those routines and commitments are no longer helping us to grow in our faith.
If you’re feeling stagnant in your own journey of discipleship, why not take a step back and review your current patterns and habits? Our Personal Rule of Life materials can help you to be intentional about the way you practice your faith day-to-day. These resources can also help new Christians to structure their patterns of discipleship as they set out on the journey of following Jesus.
Being intentional and thinking ahead is important when it comes to leading others too – the rhythms of the Christian year lend themselves to times of learning, reflection and mission. Leaders can help people in their churches to make the most of these opportunities by planning ahead. For example, Advent and Christmas are coming up soon – Advent is a great opportunity to encourage people to take time out from the busyness of everyday life and reflect on the coming of Jesus. Christmas is a time when many people visit church who do not come week to week – how can you make sure that your events are accessible to those who are new to church and include an invitation to find out more about faith?
Our Advent and Christmas webpage features plenty of resources to help individuals and church communities be intentional about their discipleship – why not think about how you can live out your faith during this season?
This week’s blog post has been written by Hannah Sandoval, Lights for Christ Enabler