Desiring a Father’s Heart
- Posted by Julee Huy
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Desiring a father’s heart is much more than wanting to get married and have children. For the Apostle Paul, his desire for a father’s heart led him to become a spiritual father to Timothy. Timothy, on the other hand, had a desire for a spiritual father so he could grow in his faith. This two-way relationship is just as necessary today as it was then. Older men in the faith are needed to lead young men, while young men are dependent on older men to grow spiritually.
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” – 2 Timothy 2:1–2.
THE APOSTLE PAUL – A SPIRITUAL FATHER
Though Paul was a single man, he had a desire for a father’s heart. This was not just in the sense of having the heart of God to love and care for his people (after which Paul definitely sought) but also of having the heart of a father to love and care for a son personally.
Paul, being well-versed in the Old Testament, would have known quite well what the kingdom benefits were to a great mentoring relationship by looking at the relationship between Moses and Joshua. Moses saw Joshua as a young man with great potential (Ex 17:8-16), and Paul likewise saw great potential in Timothy (2 Tim 1:5). Moses gave Joshua opportunities to serve and be viewed as a leader (Ex 24:12-14), and Paul likewise gave Timothy opportunities to serve and lead (2 Tim 1:18). Joshua proved himself worthy to Moses (Num 13-14), and Timothy proved himself worthy to Paul (see Phil 2:19-22 below).
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. – Philippians 2:19-22.
Because Paul was given examples from men like Moses, he saw both the need and the benefit to investing in a young man like Timothy.
TIMOTHY – A SPIRITUAL SON
As far as we know, Timothy’s biological father was nonexistent in his life. Some suggest he was around but just was not a follower of Christ. Whichever way it was, Timothy was a young man in the faith who would have had a hard time growing (or not falling back) without solid discipleship (think back to your early Christian years). Timothy desired to be spiritually fathered.
At the same time, the early church was in need of young men like Timothy. It was growing rapidly and needs arose for men to step up and lead groups both big and small (which isn’t much different from a small growing church like ours). As the number of people increased, the number of ministries, groups, and people in need of leadership and discipleship grew with it.
WHO ARE WE?
Where we fit into the Paul/Timothy (Father/Son) model isn’t clear cut but below are some typical characteristics.
A spiritual father like Paul:
- has biblical understanding and wisdom, often from many years of walking with the Lord but sometimes just from rapid pursuit of Christ in his life.
- has a heart to connect with younger men in the faith to encourage them in their growth in the Lord.
- realizes that the mistakes he made early in his life don’t have to be repeated by others if at all possible.
- is willing to set aside time in his schedule, whether busy or not, to invest in the continual growth of young men in the body of Christ.
A spiritual son like Timothy:
- is young in his faith, either by age or experience and in need of guidance from a man who has walked well with Christ in his life.
- often times (but not always) does not have a biological father present in his life who images Jesus.
- has a great desire to follow Jesus and make the most of Him, not of the man from whom he is looking for guidance.
- knows that there is much he doesn’t know and is open to being taught and corrected.
NOW WHAT?
We probably don’t fit into one exclusive bucket. We can all use mentoring, and in some way, we can all mentor others. I suggest to you to go and find for yourself two men (or maybe you already have). Find yourself a Paul, no matter your age. Allow him to pour into your life as much as he is willing. Also, go find yourself a Timothy. There are many young men out there in need of spiritual guidance, and I would suggest that if God put them in your life, there’s a good possibility you are called to be their Paul.
If you would like to dig deeper into this Father/Son desire, I encourage you to join us for this year’s Men’s Retreat titled “Desiring a Father’s Heart.” More information can be found on our website (link below).
http://forhisglorycc.org/events/mens-retreat-desiring-a-fathers-heart.
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