Spiritual Children, Spiritual Parents

In Titus 1:4, the Apostle Paul addresses Titus as "my true child in a common faith." Apparently Titus had come to faith under the influence of Paul's ministry and as he grew became a trusted co-worker. But there was a lasting relationship established between them of spiritual father and spiritual son.

Whose spiritual child are you? Who led you to faith in Christ as one of God's elect (Titus 1:1)? It may have been a Billy Graham or a pastor or a parent or a co-worker. Whoever it was, why not take a moment as you read this and THANK God for His mercy in bringing that person with the gospel into your life. I thank the Lord for a pastor's preaching and a scarey gospel tract and night time discussions about spiritual things with my older sister over 35 years ago.

Do you now have a spiritual father or mother in your life? That is, is there someone who cares for you spiritually with the care of a loving parent? If so, THANK God for that person, as well. Perhaps it is the same one who led you to Christ. Perhaps it is a new person God has brought into your life. I thank God for a pastor who lives over an hour from me who prays for me regularly and makes time every couple of months to meet for a couple of hours and be a spiritual mentor and father to me. If you DO NOT have someone in your life like this, why not begin to ASK the Lord for such a person?

Do YOU have spiritual children? Are there folks you have been used by God to bring to faith in Christ? Perhaps it is your very own physical children. Perhaps it was some campers when you were a counselor one summer years ago. Perhaps it was your spouse. If you DO NOT have spiritual children, or it you have one or more and really desire God to use you again, why not begin to PRAY for them? ASK the Lord to bring you to the folks around you who have been prepared by God to receive the gospel. Perhaps you'll need to love them and do some relationship building for some time before they will really hear the gospel. WHAT can we do to be used as spiritual parents?

• PRAY for God to use you in the lives of those around you. PRAY for Him to bring new folks into your life. PRAY for your family members who are not converted. PRAY for Him to give you gospel words that fit the folks you are with.
• SHARE this glorious gospel. No one will be converted by your testimony unless it contains the gospel of Christ. God's law, their failure to meet it, deadly consequences, gracious provision by a loving God in His perfect and dying Son, repentance and faith in this One...share THAT gospel and watch the Holy Spirit do His work.
• INVITE folks to church to sit under the Word of God and to be loved on by your fellow body members.
• Be HOSPITABLE to the lost in your own home. Love them up close...REALLY love them.
• Give them something to READ...a gospel tract, a good book like Ultimate Questions by John Blanchard.

Are YOU a spiritual parent? Are there spiritual children God has given you that you could also be helping to grow in godliness? See Titus 1:1: Paul was a servant of God for the elect's "knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness." The truth of God leads ALWAYS to godliness, or at least IT SHOULD! It will if those who have trusted Christ have a MODEL of godliness and someone who TEACHES them how it works out in real life and real relationships. Perhaps there are folks who came to Christ under the influence of someone else but have no one coming up close to be a spiritual parent to them. Could God be calling YOU to come alongside them? What a blessing and boon that would be to their growth.

Oh friends, let us pray for, work for, look for, share with, and come alongside those who might indeed become our own spiritual children by God's mercy and the Spirit's work. And let us cry to God to give US spiritual fathers and mothers for our own growth in godliness.