Suppose you had 10,000 believers in Christ watching over you. You still wouldn’t have many fathers. I became your father by serving Christ Jesus and telling you the good news. So I’m asking you to follow my example. That’s the reason I have sent Timothy to you. He is like a son to me, and I love him. He is faithful in serving the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in serving Christ Jesus. And that agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

1 Corinthians 4:15-17 (NIRV)

Your life and story have an impact on your ministry experience.

Timothy grew up without a believing father, who was also absent from his life. Fortunately, he had a godly mother and grandmother, as well as the Apostle Paul, who became his spiritual father and mentor. They were involved and invested in developing his faith, his relationship with God, and, most importantly, his call to ministry. God used these individuals, and later other believers, to heal and fill the broken places in Timothy's life, allowing him to become a great church leader who impacted countless lives.

We all need spiritual parents and siblings to encourage us on our faith journey. This is especially helpful if you don't have anyone actively coming alongside you to support your spiritual growth and model for you how to follow after Christ. If we are willing to connect on a deeper level with one another, our church community will become healthier and stronger than ever before.

Many Christians are accustomed to "spectator worship" and the "consumer church scene" in our culture. In other words, they showed up in church on Sunday expecting an enjoyable and comfortable experience but with little sense of community. Without community, there is no accountability. Without accountability, there is no responsibility. Without responsibility, there is no teachability. What they have is a form of godliness without the power of it. They will continue to be spiritually anaemic and biblically illiterate until they learn to value a scriptural understanding of worship, community, and mission.

We need to rediscover the lost art of spiritual caring for one another, particularly for those who are young and new to the faith. The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians that he was their father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Because he showed concern for their personal lives and spiritual development, Paul did not hesitate to correct them for neglecting the gospel and their life in Christ. The good news was that the Corinthians responded positively to Paul's reproach by expressing godly sorrow that led to repentance.

Let me leave you with this thought: Who is helping you and who are you intentionally encouraging and showing what it looks like to follow Jesus? If you can't think of anyone, whom might you approach this month about a spiritual modelling and mentoring relationship?