Starting Points

In the discipleship process, it’s crucial to identify the individual’s starting point. Once you determine this, it becomes the foundation for your discipleship efforts. Typically, when someone approaches me, I assume they are a believer, as I engage in Christian and biblical counseling and discipleship. Most individuals seeking my guidance are likely born again and somewhere on the progressive sanctification continuum.

I approach each person with a charitable assumption, believing they are near or nearing Christ. However, as our discussions progress and I gather more information about their life, it often becomes evident that they might not be as close to Christ as initially thought. The goal is to establish their starting point accurately because assuming they are more connected to Christ than they are can significantly impact the counseling process.

Understanding their starting point is vital. I don’t concern myself with where that point is, but rather with knowing it precisely. This understanding directs the questions I ask and how I discern their spiritual state. Sometimes, you might realize that their starting point is far from Christ, indicating they might not be believers. While this assessment is subjective and should be approached carefully, it might reveal the need for evangelism.

In the counseling world, this is sometimes referred to as pre-counseling, but this term is unnecessary. Simply share God’s word with them, as Jesus did with Nicodemus and the woman at the well in John 3 and 4. The focus should not be on terminology but on the act of sharing God’s word uniquely tailored to the individual. Ultimately, the primary task in initial conversations is discerning the starting point of the individual.