We are all a product of the people that we allow in our lives. Take a minute and think about those who have impacted you along the way. I can think of many influential people from my childhood, teen, college, and young adult years. The Lord sovereignly put me in the path of people that would forever mark my life in the Lord. I think it’s important to have this kind of perspective about our lives. As Christians we should be one of two kinds of people. Either you are a mother or father in the Spirit to someone or you are being shaped and formed (otherwise known as being discipled) by someone. It is also possible, and healthy, to do both.
- The transition into becoming a mother or father in the Spirit should be a goal that each of us should have. Not everyone has the qualities of being a spiritual mother or father. 1 Corinthians 4:5 says “You may have ten thousand mentors in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers.” This means that being a mentor doesn’t necessarily mean you carry the qualities of a spiritual father or mother. There is a difference. Spiritual fathers and mothers carry something special and unique in the community of believers that they live in. Here are three of my own thoughts about who a spiritual mother and father should be.They have an understanding of Father God’s heart. There’s something about knowing how God truly treats people that overflow into our own relationships. People that know God’s nature and have experienced it for themselves carry His heart for others. Spiritual mothers and fathers carry the patient and nurturing side of God that is required to see people walk in their destinies.
- Their life and ministry is no longer about themselves. When you get excited about someone else being honored and promoted above yourself, you might be on the path to fathering and mothering. We don’t want people limited by our abilities and talents. We want people to go beyond anything we have been able to do in the Lord. Fathers and mothers want to see people succeed far above what they could ever do or become. They are secure in their identity in Christ as they are content in standing on the sidelines cheering others on that may be more gifted than them.
- They call out the gold in others. Spiritual fathers and mothers are fully aware of the character weaknesses of those they are championing. Like Jesus, they have the ability to see past those weaknesses and know who the person will become in the future. They patiently walk with them through personal trials and failures and encourage them to know what their spiritual identity looks like until they walk in it maturely. They carry a prophetic sense of who the person will become and can speak those truths into their life.
As you read the above paragraphs, I hope you are stirred to do one of two things. You might need to search out a spiritual father or mother, or you may need to find someone you can be a mother or father to. Let’s make it our goal to become a church that champions each other along the way and celebrates each other’s giftings and destinies. Let’s go hard after the heart of Jesus and see each other through His eyes! Let’s become spiritual mothers and fathers that carry a prophetic sense of how special people are before God.
(Marci Isaacs is our Children’s Pastor and Outreach Director)