THE CARE FOR THE SAINTS
This topic and burden has been on my
heart for a long time, and is a theme lately in my learning process with
the Lord. After all, another term for spiritual parenting - the
nurturing, teaching, and equipping of spiritual children - is indeed,
"The care for the saints". What do good parents do, but "care" for their
children? We as spiritual parents also must "care for" the saints the
Lord has entrusted to our care.
As a father of three
children in everyday life, my job is to love on them, nurture them,
teach them, affirm them, lead and guide them - all regardless of their
stage in growth, regardless of their receptivity, regardless of their
faithfulness and willingness. I could have the worst kids in the world
and I would still be expected to love and care for them through it all -
because I am their dad. It is my job, my calling, and my God-given
responsibility - they were born into my family, they share my last name,
and they depend on me for everything - so I MUST care for them.
So
with spiritual children - those in my spiritual household MUST be cared
for. This is the spirit in which I think Jesus told Peter so intensely
to "Feed my sheep". We also remember that when Jesus looked at the
multitudes, he had compassion on them because they were "like sheep
without a shepherd." Those within the household of God - especially the
younger ones, desperately need spiritual care. They will - more often
than not - die without it. They need teaching, they need affirmation
and love, and they need equipping and preparation.
All
that to get to what is more specifically on my heart... I think that
many of us have adopted an approach - an approach that I don't think was
meant for basic spiritual parenting - and used it unwittingly in
parenting our spiritual children. That approach is one of making
disciples - setting a bar of discipleship, watching for faithfulness,
and working with the ones who show themselves faithful (FAT - faithful,
available, and teachable). After all, Jesus did this - he called many to
follow Him, but only a few were willing to pay the price. Those who
weren't willing went on their way - and those who were willing (who were
FAT) got His time and attention. Although I don't think this same
approach was meant for the care of saints by spiritual "moms and dads"
within the context of a local "vibrant family of Jesus."
I
think a different mindset must be adapted when dealing with the care of
the saints the Lord has set under our care in our churches. For the
sake of differentiating terms, I will call one "The care for the
saints", and I will call the other, "The making of disciples". Now I
know that those concepts are interconnected and perhaps not meant to be
separated - but regardless I believe two different approaches just might
apply with these two different phases of spiritual growth and maturity.
(continued in a day or two...)
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