One important aspect that we recognize about spiritual sonship is that the spiritual son was always in close proximity to his father and learnt from him both through studying his deeds and sayings. These days in the age of “microwave Christianity” where believers do not want to put time and effort into their spiritual growth you find Christians who claim that a certain man of God on television or on a mega-church pulpit is his spiritual father. There is nothing further from the truth. This is a lie from the devil who wants believers to remain swimming in the shallow end of the swimming pool and not venturing out into the deep waters where the true power is. A spiritual father is one who can carefully observe your character, rebuke you when the need so requires and be available to answer any question that you may have concerning the faith. I have personally had the blessing to grow up in my salvation under the spiritual fatherhood of Apostle Peter Lukaaga, the founder of Caring Mission. He is the one who preached the gospel to me one-on-one and personally led me to Christ in 1999. Even through the oppressive days under the SMACK (St. Mary’s College Kisubi) administration which banned any Christian activities, he would always enter school and distribute literature and epistles he had personally written to keep us growing in the faith. I can confidently say that I have been brought up at his feet since he has always endeavored to follow up on me and make sure that I am still standing in the Lord. He has personally come to my home and even to my room on campus. I have received prophecies through him which have indeed come to pass and I am assured that even the rest of the prophecies will be fulfilled in their season. I have personally traveled with him on missions both within and outside the country to places like Sembabule, Kenya and Rwanda. Through his ministry I have learnt to live a life of humility and boldness. I have also been encouraged and have stepped out into operating in the gifts of the Spirit. I have come to know the value of living a holy life without reproach and to continue fervently in prayer. God receives all the glory for what He has done in my life through my spiritual father. I have shared all this to show you that these principles work. These are not just theoretical musings from some theological “Ivory Tower” but are time-tested nuggets that I have personally experienced through the past five years of my salvation.
Your spiritual father will always determine your success or failure as Christian. Sometimes because of pride you find Christians who do not want to submit to the process of being discipled by a father. They prefer to do things on their own. That is the reason why we have commonly had “rocket ministries” in Africa where someone shoots up so high with great results yet after a few years comes back down with the same speed at which he went. One of the principles that has kept me in balance is that I have commonly sought counsel from my spiritual father whenever I am making a very important decision in my life. There is safety in a multitude of counselors, how much more from your spiritual father who has literally given birth to you in the gospel and loves you dearly (Prov 11:14). It is not too late for you to come under the wings of a spiritual father. All you have to do is to ask God and he will surely show you that individual whom he desires to father you in the faith. God always works through men. That is the reason why Jesus is called Immanuel, “God with us”, God working with and through men. Invariably your spiritual father will be an individual who has gone ahead of you in the areas of your life and ministry God has called you to fulfill. Jesus said that, “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord”(Mk 10:24). This implies that God will use an individual who is above you in spiritual things to instruct you and father you. God is referred to as our Father and likewise this nature of His is demonstrated through those individuals that He will send to disciple you in the faith. A time will ultimately come when you will reach the level that your father reached and even surpass it like Elisha did. “The disciple is not above his master: but EVERY ONE THAT IS PERFECT SHALL BE AS HIS MASTER,” (Lk 6:40), this is what Jesus said and he meant every word of it. When you wait on and learn from your master or teacher you will surely be honored. Jesus even promised that His disciples would do greater works than He did while on earth, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and GREATER WORKS THAN THESE shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (Jn 14:12), this is the desire of every discipler, for his disciples to surpass the achievements he has done.
God has surely prepared a spiritual father for you to oversee and disciple you, He is just waiting for you to ask Him and He will reveal him to you. “For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many FATHERS: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (1 Cor 4:15), you may surely have many instructors, pastors and teachers but you will only have one father. Do not remain a spiritual orphan; find shelter under the wings of your spiritual father!