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Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them! (Psalm 127:3-5a ESV)

There is a loving and energetic lady in our church who, when she sees the youth come in the building, exclaims, “My babies!” Those two words are loaded. In one sense, those students, if they let us call them our babies, fill us with a sense of family. It feels, emotionally, like a mother in a delivery room holding her child for the first time. There is a rush of joy upon seeing those babies that you lay claim to.

On the other hand, the tip of the iceberg comes with the entire iceberg. Students have real needs as they are maturing in close relationships, struggling with education, fearing the future, wrestling with their present state, and nurturing a faith that is young and growing. Saying “my babies!” is a declaration of discipleship. It acknowledges that there is a real person in front of you who needs discipled in the faith – and you are the quasi-parent that is entrusted with that task!

Jesus expanded the meaning of family when he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:34b-35 ESV) When we lead another to Christ, it is as if we have played an important part of a birth in God’s Kingdom – yet do we consider ourselves to be spiritual parents – entrusted with the feeding and spiritual development of that new life? 

We should. 

A young banker named Gary Anderson led me in the sinner’s prayer behind the Decatur Community High School cafeteria on a Fall evening in 1979.  He did not high-five himself afterward, placing another jewel in his heavenly crown. Instead, he got to work by discipling my faith, encouraging me to regularly attend weekly Golden Plains Teens for Christ meetings. I was a spiritual babe, but he took responsibility over my upbringing. He was a spiritual parent, doing what we are called to do in the family of God. 

We have a responsibility in the church to find those who are growing in the faith and become a faithful discipler. We walk with others through growing pains, doubts, struggles, triumphs, anxiety, and uncertainty. We feed them the Word of God. We protect them with the armor of God and prayer. We correct them when they go astray and celebrate with them as they show signs of maturity. 

We do not outsource spiritual parental discipleship. This is a shoulder-to-shoulder walk that every church member has with each other. We must link arms and strengthen the weak among us. This is how a family operates. 

I shall start, then, with the church, into whose bosom God is pleased to gather his sons ... that they may be guided by her motherly care until they are mature and at last reach the goal of faith ... so that, for those to whom he is Father, the church may also be Mother. (John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion)

God has showed us how this works in his design for the human family. It is his creational pattern for the spiritual family - his church. We have responsibilities to brothers and sisters, and yes, we have the greatest responsibility to those “babies!” Rejoice over those young believers, new in the faith, but roll up your sleeves and be about the business of feeding and care. 

For more information on how to be a good discipler of others in the church, check out these two resources:

Side by Side: Walking with Others in Wisdom and Love by Ed Welch

The Compelling Community: Where God’s Power Makes a Church Attractive by Mark Dever & Jamie Dunlop