Why Over-Explaining Kills Discipleship
Here’s the deal… Over-explaining sabotages discipleship.
I see it all the time.
A sincere believer sits down with someone they’re discipling. The new believer asks a question… maybe something small, maybe something deep. Almost immediately, the discipler shifts into full commentary mode.
Scriptures start flying. Personal stories come out. Theological terms get tossed in. Before long, it becomes a full-blown TED Talk… all before the disciple even has time to process the original question.
Let me say this plainly:
If you’re always the waterfall, they’ll never learn to draw from the well.
The Waterfall Temptation
A waterfall is impressive.
It gushes. It makes noise. It looks powerful. At the same time, it drowns everything around it.
In the same way, when we over-teach…
Over-explain.
Over-answer…
…we flood people with information and rob them of revelation.
Rather than building disciples who learn how to seek God, we accidentally train them to depend on us for everything.
That’s not discipleship. That’s spiritual codependency.
The Power of a Well
A well doesn’t rush… it waits.
It holds depth, but it doesn’t spill.
A well invites. It doesn’t demand attention. It gives exactly what someone is willing to draw.
This quiet strength is the model Jesus used.
He didn’t overwhelm people with answers. He asked questions. He spoke in parables. He stirred hunger.
Then He paused. He let people lean in.
And the ones who wanted more? They came back for another draw.
The Shift You Need to Make
Here’s what I tell our leaders:
Don’t flood people with everything you know.
Just give them enough to keep them thirsty.
Then…
- Send them to scripture. Let the Word speak.
- Push them to prayer. Let the Spirit reveal.
- Stay quiet long enough for them to wrestle, reflect, and return.
When they come back with more questions, that’s good. It means they’re thinking. That’s a win.
But if you answer everything immediately, the conversation shifts. It becomes about your depth, not their growth.
Let This Sink In
Waterfalls are impressive, but nobody lives under one.
Wells, on the other hand, sustain entire communities. Quietly. Consistently. Faithfully.
So here’s the challenge:
Resist the urge to overfill.
Start letting them draw.
Stop flooding those you’re leading with everything you think they need to know. Instead, let them draw from you as needed, and point them to Jesus and the Word.
Don’t be a waterfall. Be a well.