Spiritual Children

I have two children. On most days I wouldn't trade them for anything. I joke. Seriously, I have two great kids, and that's a blessing to be able to say about full-fledged teenagers. My daughter is driving and my son is nearly as tall as me now. Life is much about trying to guide them and raise them up to love and respect the Lord and His people.

I understand the role of raising my kids and I do my best to embrace that role with the godly significance and success it deserves. Yet, I have been challenged once again about shepherding others like they are my own children.

Paul, in I Timothy 1:2, writes to Timothy, the young pastor of the church of Ephesus. Understanding the context of the passage, we see that Paul is wanting to exhort and encourage Timothy to be the godly leader the church of Christ deserves. With that background, it is powerful to read this verse: "To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."

Reading that, I was struck with the words "my true son in the faith." It made me ponder who are my true sons in the faith. I began to question... Who am I investing in? Who am I raising up to lead like me? Who am I helping hear and respond to the voice of the Lord?

I feel like, if we are taking the role of discipling the nations serious, those shouldn't be difficult questions to answer. I also understand that seasons of specific spiritual leadership and investment come and go. However, I don't ever want to be in a time when I can't point to the people I am investing, whether that be my own children or those that qualify as spiritual children.

So here's the question of the day: Who are your spiritual children? In whom are you investing? Who are you discipling?