Colossians 1:7-8

⁷ You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ⁸ and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. 

”Spiritual parent” is another term for someone who shares the Gospel to someone and disciples them in growing in their spiritual life. Like our biological parents, spiritual parents aid in the growth of their disciples, or “spiritual children.” Spiritual parents support their spiritual children in various ways such as guiding the latter in how to properly read the Bible, praying for them, encouraging them, and showing them how to be involved in the ministry.

If you look around the church building–from the first person that greets you, to the people standing on stage, to the folks at the back operating the technology on what you see on the slideshow screen–each around you most likely has been discipled by their “spiritual parents.” Someone has said that one of the greatest joys of a spiritual parent is seeing your own spiritual children disciple others.

A notable spiritual parent in the New Testament is Epaphras. Epaphras is known to be faithful and a fellow servant of Paul as we can read in our devotional passage for today. In chapter 4 of Colossians, we can read that Epaphras was always “wrestling in prayer” for the church in Colossae that they may ”stand firm in the will of God, mature and fully assured.”

Who would you regard as your spiritual parents that have aided in your spiritual maturity? Have you shared the Gospel and accompanied someone as they explore their personal relationship with God?

Continue to thank God for the people He uses to disciple us in His way. May God make us grow to be spiritual parents that disciple others in the same way.

Lord, please bless my “spiritual parents” and teach me to disciple others.

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