Replace Yourself

Betty Wu
"Follow me" Jesus told Matthew when He saw him sitting at the tax collector's booth and Matthew got up and followed Him. As Jesus was walking along the shore He saw Simon and his brother Andrew fishing and said to them "come follow me". Likewise on His way north to Galilee Jesus called Philip to be His disciple..


Why did these men follow Jesus? Simply because Jesus asked them. Jesus called these men to join Him not midway in His ministry nor just days before His crucifixion but at the start of His ministry. He knew His time on earth would be brief and He needed to replace Himself with followers prepared to continue His work. Thus He took the initiative to call men to be His disciples and immediately started mentoring them for the purpose of replacement.


Time was not spent in searching for qualified and talented people. Jesus met His followers on the road and immediately extended the invitation. Our Lord never conducted His ministry alone. Others were always involved, listening to His teachings and observing His actions. What a hands on experience! The disciples witnessed Jesus teaching, healing, and performing miracles. Everyday with their Lord was a learning experience as Jesus patiently prepared them to succeed Him.

Any organization to be effective must have a plan of continuous replacement. Success depends upon succession. Unfortunately, many companies do not adhere to this policy as employers do not want to spend the time nor have the desire to train a successor.

At every level in our church we must be working to replace ourselves. Teachers and leaders must look for apprentices to mentor so that they can pass on their work without interruption. When you apprentice someone, you broaden your influence and your mistakes are not continued. You should always be looking over your shoulder to find someone ready to take over. With every new teacher comes new ideas.

It is the job of teachers and leaders to train apprentices and pass on their responsibilities. Jesus did not select highly qualified religious leaders, well acquainted with theology to continue His ministry. He chose those who crossed His path and trained them. Your apprentice doesn’t need to possess much experience or knowledge but whatever he or she knows should be passed on.

Intentional apprenticing should be our goal. We must take advantage of all the unused talent surrounding us, lest we cling fiercely to our positions, not taking any risks nor introducing any new thoughts or ideas. Let's aim to replace ourselves!