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Jan 07, 2026 06:00am

Spiritual Babies Need Parents Too

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See ya, Son, you’re on your own.

Can you imagine saying this to your newborn?

Moments after his arrival, they wrapped him in a blanket and handed him back to you. You hugged him closely, beaming with pride. You laid him down in the bassinet, and then you just walked away.

This would be an unthinkable act—absolutely absurd and deplorable. As his father, you would have a desire to care for him, love him, teach him, and watch him grow, not abandon him.

Yet this is often what we do to our spiritual children, isn’t it?

Have you ever led anyone to Christ? Maybe you brought them to church, prayed for them, and one day they surrendered their life and received salvation.

You hugged their neck, told them how proud you were, and then walked away.

When someone comes to salvation in Christ, they are a newborn in the faith. They need to be fed with spiritual milk, and then as they grow, they are able to digest and understand deeper truths.

But someone has to feed them.
Someone has to care for them.
Someone has to love them.

“Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance, I don’t know how else to help you.” (Galatians 4:19–20)

Paul was the spiritual father of the believers in Galatia. He had led them to faith in Christ, but he didn’t leave them there. He taught them and helped them grow in their understanding. He considered them his children, and to see them drifting in their faith was, to Paul, as painful as childbirth. His desire was to see them continue to grow and mature in Christ.

I wonder—do we have that same desire?

It can’t be the pastor’s responsibility every time. He cannot disciple every person who comes to know the Lord as Savior.

We are disciples of Christ.

We have been given the Great Commission—to go and make disciples, not just converts.

It’s never too late to start.

Reach out to someone today and invite them into your life. Teach them about Christ, help them grow in their faith and walk with the Lord, and love them well.

This is discipleship.

If you don’t know where to start, there is a free tool you can use. It’s called FOLLOW. Through short, simple videos, you and your disciple can learn together who Jesus is, how He transforms us, and what it looks like to join Him on His mission.

Once you complete the first section of four videos, there’s an option to learn more about Jesus. This includes ten additional lessons that help you grow as a devoted follower of Christ. Together, you’ll learn about the Bible’s big story, salvation, prayer, how to study Scripture, baptism, and the importance of the local church.

This resource is completely free. So what are you waiting for?

FOLLOW.lifeword.org
FOLLOW.lifeword.org/spanish