Photo Credit: faungg’s photos via Compfight cc
Every leader I know needs three types of relationships to reach their greatest potential and deepest fulfillment:
- We need fathers and mothers.
- We need sons and daughters.
- We need brothers and sisters.
In a previous post I wrote “Advice to Young Leaders,” where I offered 10 pieces of advice to these sons and daughters of our future.
Our modern culture is fascinated with emerging, new, shiny, and youthful. I get it. I think it is great. I am actually a little jealous of this emerging generation of leaders. When I was an “emerging leader” I could not find anything like what is available now.
In our championing of the emerging generation we must also champion the spiritual fathers and mothers around us.
The fathers and mothers are the “foundations” the emerging leaders will build on, the “pillars” the emerging leaders will cherish for their strength, and “anchors” of stability the emerging will need when they to sail into the storms of life and ministry.
To the fathers and mothers among us I cry out, “It is your time!”
We have many teachers, but few fathers and mothers.
We love our teachers and mentors, but we crave fathers and mothers.
Mothers and fathers in the Faith, I have no advice for you, but I do have three requests:
- Keep growing.
I have two friends, both named Burt, who are at least 20 years my senior. Every time I am around them I go away saying to myself, “I want to be like them! I want to keep growing like that!”
They are always learning, always taking on new challenges, and always growing.
They are cutting pathways. They have not settled into ruts. A rut, after all, is just a grave with the ends stretched out. They keep going.
- Keep sowing.
This emerging generation will go far. I have no doubt.
They will build new futures. They will make new places for meeting God. They will open new frontiers.
And they will never outgrow their need for fathers and mothers.
Every future needs a solid foundation. Every generation of the Church needs pillars in the household of God. Every ship needs an anchor.
Fathers and mothers, it is your time. You are the foundations, the pillars, and the anchors for this generation. I beg you take your rightful place.
- Keep going.
Enjoy basking in the sunlight of a life well lived. Cherish the well-earned victories you have secured. You deserve it.
But do not retire from the body of Christ. We, the whole body of Christ, cannot complete Jesus’ assignment on this generation without you.
“Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.” (Psalm 78:1–4, ESV)
“But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.” (Psalm 79:13, ESV)
When Caleb was 85 years old, he cried out, “Give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day…” (Joshua 14:12)
Let that same spirit be in you, dear mother, dear father. You have not come this far to settle down. You have promises left to claim, lives left to touch, cities and nations yet to be transformed.
We who follow behind you may be those promises given, those lives to touch, and perhaps because of you we will see cities and nations transformed.
It is your time. We implore you. We beg you. We need you. We want you.
Debbie and I serve as the FMI Global Associate Director for MENACA and Europe. We focus on cultivating disciples, leaders, and church planting movements.
