We are often wise to follow the natural way of doing things. For example, God made our bodies with the following attributes:

1. What we exercise judiciously becomes most fit.
   
2. What we abuse causes pain, dysfunction, and/or disease.
   
3. What we neglect atrophies or even dies.
   
4. What we overindulge becomes fat and flabby, and ultimately useless.

Now read these items again, but this time think about the Church. Do not these observations apply to it, as well? And to these, let us add a fifth observation:

5. In time, we grow old and then die, so we must continually raise up new generations to take our place.

Too often, we imagine that we will live forever. So we protect our territory, trying to keep what is ours and maintain control. We resent newcomers we see as interlopers and less deserving. But it is our duty before God to instead empower and equip the next generation to carry on when we are gone.

Moreover, let us apply this principle beyond our own limited vision for our own children. It is part of our own self-protection and self-interest to favor them above others. There are manifold spiritual offspring the Lord intends for us to raise up. Let us learn to mentor them, as well, into whatever ministries they are called.

This article is now included in:

God's Trombone Books by Paul Hughes

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