Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony

Author:Michelle Anthony
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: David C. Cook
Published: 2011-04-14T04:00:00+00:00

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. (vv. 32–40)

A World Not Worthy

The people whose lives are recounted in this passage are people I admire greatly. They amaze me. They shame me. Sawed in half? Destitute? The world was not worthy of them? They didn’t just show up this way overnight. As we read their stories, we see that they were repeatedly using their spiritual muscles. They were dying to themselves daily. They were constantly looking to serve God and others. All of these were manifestations of their faith, and now they inspire us, even though we have not met them.

When I think of “What needs to be done?” I think of how my children and this generation need something epic to live for. They need a cause and an understanding of who God is and what His kingdom is all about. In order to be prepared to be part of such an epic battle, our children will need the environment of service to train their hearts upward and outward. Without it, this generation will settle for something far less than what God has called them to. They will settle for the fruit of selfishness—the vanity of the mundane.

Service as Worship

The early church couldn’t even think of worship outside of this concept of service. The Greek word for worship is latria. This happens to be the same word for service. Latria is service. Latria is worship. So the New International Version renders Romans 12:1 like this: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” The original Greek text can also be translated, “This is your spiritual act of service.” The two are inseparable. It’s the same word. So for us to be worshippers with our lives, we must learn to be servants as well. We must enter into

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