The Fathering Spirit – 1

Apostle Grace Lubega

Malachi 4:6(KJV); And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

We live in a world where the concept of fatherhood is slowly dying.

The concept of family which is the nexus of society is being distorted by the deliberate work of the enemy.

In today’s world, some men have failed to step up to their responsibilities as fathers; some men feel that they are now women while some women feel like they are men.

The results of this disintegration can be felt by the societies that are championing such liberalism while sacrificing fundamental family values.

In a 2017 US Census Bureau for example, it was found that among 19.7 million children in the United States, one in four live without a father in the home.

Consequently, there is a ‘father factor’ in all the societal ills facing America today. These range from these children’s susceptibility to criminal lifestyles, rape cases, domestic violence, a sharp rise in divorce rates and teen suicides.

But what is the root cause of this problem?

It can only be spiritual before it is physical.

The issue is that the world cannot get this concept of fatherhood right if the Church has not gotten it right. The fatherhood crisis in our world today is a reflection of the fatherhood crisis in the Church today.

The fathering spirit is one of the deepest components of Christian identity. One cannot speak of the Christian Faith and not speak of spiritual fathering as a cornerstone to the foundation of the Church.

It is a pattern of ministry that the Church cannot hide from no matter how much we bury our heads in the sand.

Everyone needs an authority to nurture them in any spiritual office. Joshua had Moses; David had Saul; Samuel had Eli; Elisha had Elijah; Timothy and Titus had Paul the Apostle.

In 1 Corinthians 4:15, Paul speaks of the experiences of his day, of how the Church then had thousands of instructors but a few fathers.

So it is today.

Spiritual fatherhood [and motherhood] is divine. That is the order of accountability that God has established for the local Church. There is no other.

Until the Church awakens to this reality, any attempts to change the families of this world will be in vain.

To the individual Christian, are you submitted to a spiritual authority?

Do you account your life to someone? It is not a position you are forced into; it must come with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

However, the underlying truth remains; you need to submit your life to a spiritual authority.

FURTHER STUDY: 1 Corinthians 4:15, Hebrews 13:17

GOLDEN NUGGET:

Spiritual fatherhood [and motherhood] is divine. That is the order of accountability that God has established for the local Church. There is no other.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this Word. I receive it with all humility. I know that you cannot trust me with the lives of men when I have not trusted mine to another. I choose to walk in the patterns of salvation because it is the right way; the God way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.