As a disciple maker you may need to help your disciple discern where he has displaced God in his life and if so with whom or what. Mankind is constantly searching for substitutes for God. The Israelites displaced God with a gold calf while Paul tells us in the book of Romans that man has exchanged the Creator God with created things.
Insecurity and delusional thinking will cause your disciple to attach himself to a symbol that represents for him a value that he believes will contribute to his own importance both in the eyes of others and in his opinion of himself. He thinks that if he wears a particular piece of clothing, owns the latest cell phone, has a girlfriend, or belongs to a specific group of friends that somehow their importance will rub off on him. He seeks to find value by association.
Discerning symbols is tricky because what is significant for one person may have no meaning to another. For one man the type of automobile he drives is an important statement while for another a car is nothing more than a means to get from one place to another.
Insecurity comes from placing my trust in anything or anyone that can be taken away from me. Good looks will age, abilities will fade, cars will rust, and relationships may fail. Security for your disciple can only be found in his placement of trust and value in God.
In closing:
- The Lord will use suffering to wean your disciple off of misplaced trust.
- Help your disciple bridge to new friendships with people who are secure followers of Jesus.
- Read and discuss Israel’s distrust in God and their misplaced trust during the Exodus. (Numbers 14; Deuteronomy 1 & 6)