How does someone find a spiritual mother or father? I get this question so often. I know what it’s like to hunger for covering, a voice of wisdom, someone to share your accomplishments with and process difficult decisions with. And I’m encouraged to see a generation hungry for this as well! It all begins by positioning your heart as a son or daughter. Then you will attract spiritual parents.
1) Find people who you value and who value you. Do this not because of what they give you and not for selfish reasons, but rather because of the fruit and experience you’ve seen in their lives that you could model yourself after. If you want to be a mechanic, hang around repair shops. If you want to be a pastor, hang around pastors and stack chairs.
2) Serve well. Often in our environment we teach you that you are amazing, which is true, but then people go out from here and look for their throne of destiny. They’re missing the point! The seat of servanthood becomes your throne. Find a simple place to serve and serve well because that’s where God looks for great leaders.
3) Give a place for others to mold you. You have to allow your life to be transformed by your spiritual parents. We all want somebody to affirm us, but if we are not willing to receive constructive criticism it doesn’t leave room for growth or even deep connection. When we value people on that level that we will let them adjust us, we begin to position ourselves in that manner. You have to let them change how you live.
4) Be open to it looking different than you may think. I also know that some of you may struggle with the idea of inviting fathering and mothering into your lives because you’re older. What if there aren’t older people around you? I’m over sixty and I still have so much to learn because we’re always growing. We all have different specialties and there are people who are more mature in an area than we are, but younger than us in others. But fathering is not age related, it’s experience related.
If you’re hungering for spiritual parenting I pray that God brings that into your life. I encourage you to partner with him and allow Holy Spirit to show you how you can position yourself as a son or daughter. Could you find a place to serve and really give of your time? Could you grow in allowing those with wisdom to correct you in a loving way?