Relentless Pursuit: The Heartbeat of Discipleship

 There’s something captivating about the word pursuit. It speaks of intention, movement, and choosing not to settle. But when you add relentless, it shifts. It’s no longer casual; it becomes a pursuit without pause. Without giving up. Even when it’s hard. Even when it feels like you’ve already given all you have.

That’s what discipleship feels like. It’s not merely believing in Jesus from a distance; it’s seeing Him through others—daily—until He becomes the very center of your life.

More Than Familiarity

I grew up in church. I knew the songs, the scriptures, the prayers. I even knew when to raise my hands and when to say “Amen.” But looking back, I realize I was more familiar with the idea of God than with God Himself.

I was learning about Him the way you study history—facts, dates, and stories that felt important but somehow distant from my reality.

Until something changed.

When I Was Found

It started when I joined Mavuno Church Bujumbura. That’s when I experienced real discipleship, not another class or program, but life-on-life. I began walking closely with my pastors. Their faith wasn’t just something they spoke about on Sundays; I saw it in their everyday choices, in the way they prayed, how they loved others, how they made room for people, even how they disciplined their children.

I was around them as they talked about God, yes, but also as they discussed finances, family, and the everyday struggles of life. Faith was not boxed into Sunday, it bled into everything.

I watched them closely, and somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn’t just observing. I was being formed.

Take marriage, for example. My view shifted as I watched how they honored each other, how they asked for help when they didn’t have all the answers. They didn’t pretend to know it all. They had people walking with them too. That gave me hope. It showed me that I was safe, I didn’t need to have it all figured out. I could follow, I could repeat what others were doing, and I could keep trying until I got it right.

It clicked: at the end of the day, we are lifelong learners of Jesus. We’re learning and applying. Learning and applying. That rhythm brought me peace. I wasn’t alone in trying to figure this out, we all are.

Faith moved from my Sunday routine into my Monday struggles. Into the awkward conversations. Into my decisions about friendships, relationships, and my future. It moved into my heart.

I had always thought following Jesus was something I had to figure out on my own. But discipleship showed me otherwise. Following Jesus is deeply personal, but it was never meant to be private.

Shaped Together

Jesus let His disciples into His everyday life. He didn’t just teach them how to pray; He showed them how to live. How to handle conflict. How to love. How to trust God when things got hard.

And I realized, we often assume we should know how to do life. How to obey God, how to be accountable, how to steward our relationships. But how would we know if no one has taught us?

I used to think growth meant “getting myself together.” But through discipleship, I’ve learned that real growth often comes through others. It’s in being challenged. Being seen. Being known, mess and all.

Discipleship is being shaped by those ahead of you while reaching back to those behind you. It’s a rhythm: being led as you lead. Being poured into as you pour out.

It’s not always clean. It’s not always easy. But it’s real.

And the beauty? You don’t arrive—you walk.

The Shift That Changed Everything

A book called Building a Discipling Culture put words to what my heart had been feeling. It said:

“If you make disciples, you will always get the church. But if you make the church, you rarely get disciples.”

That hit me like a wave. I realized we spend so much time building churches, but Jesus asked us to build people. And when people are formed into disciples, the church grows, naturally, beautifully, and healthily.

That changed everything for me. My faith became less about attendance and more about alignment. Less about perfection and more about pursuit.

The Invitation to Pursue

Today, I am still being discipled. I am also discipling others. And every day, I am reminded: this is not about having it all together. It’s about never stopping the pursuit.

So, let me ask you the questions that once changed me:

• Are you learning about Jesus, or are you learning to live like Him?

• Who is walking with you as you follow Jesus?

• And who are you inviting to walk alongside you?

The relentless pursuit is not reserved for pastors, leaders, or the “spiritually mature.” It’s an invitation for all of us.

To know Him.

To be formed by Him.

And to help others find their way to Him.

One step at a time.

Because discipleship is not the finish line. It’s the journey.

And the journey is Him.