Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

ELIJAH & ELISHA

January 22, 2010

Many of the great leaders I've known personally, especially Christian leaders, have made it a point to focus on an under-study, a protege, a disciple.

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So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat....Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.
- 1 Kings 19:19,21 TNIV
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"Servant"--actually, better to understand it as "disciple," or "prophet-in-making." Elijah met young Elisha, and he intentionally took it as his task to shape Elisha, and disciple him. Story after story throughout the Bible show such Elijah-Elisha relationships. Jesus and his Twelve, his Three, Barnabas and Paul, Paul and Timothy. American Christianity has been shaped by Bill Bright and his followers--who was a follower of Henrietta Mears; Bob Munger and Dick Halverson hung out intentionally with many people who direct the church of Christ this day. Last week I sat in a meeting in D.C. and around the table sat several disciples of our Elijah, Jim Tozer.

We live in an "out-sourcing" world, we love to turn over responsibility to others, even in Christian education and discipleship. Elijah & Elisha maybe demonstrate, out-sourcing or not, "Who is our Elijah?" and "Who is my Elisha?" In other words, who disciples me? And who am I discipling?
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson